Hippolais polyglotta (Vieillot, 1817)

Size and Related Species

This is a medium-sized warbler, measuring 12 to 13 cm (4.7 to 5.1 in) in length, and it is similar to its closely related eastern counterpart, the icterine warbler (Hippolais icterina).

Adult Plumage

Adult melodious warblers have plain brown backs and wings, with yellowish underparts. When compared to the icterine warbler, this species has browner upper parts and yellower under parts.

Physical Features

It has a strong, pointed bill and brown legs. As with most warblers, the sexes are identical in appearance, while young birds have paler bellies than adults.

Primary Song Characteristics

The song of the melodious warbler is a pleasant babble. It is more fluent and sustained than the icterine warbler's song, but much less varied, and does not include mimicked sounds.

Other Vocalizations

Other vocalizations made by this species include a rattling "trrrr" that resembles the call of a house sparrow, a quiet "tuk", and a chattering "chret-chet".

Migratory Status

The melodious warbler is a migratory species.

Breeding and Wintering Range

It breeds in Western Europe and North Africa, and overwinters in West Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Its breeding range extends east from the Iberian Peninsula to Germany and Italy.

North African Breeding Range

In northern Africa, it breeds in Western Sahara, Mauritania, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

Habitat Preferences

Its typical habitats are bushy woodland, forest edges, thickets, riverside vegetation, orchards and gardens.

Diet

Like most warblers, the melodious warbler is mainly insectivorous, but it will also eat other small food items including berries.

Reproduction

It lays three to five eggs in a nest built from fine grasses, stems, soft twigs, flakes of bark and lichen.