Scotocerca inquieta (Cretzschmar, 1830)

Nomenclature

The streaked scrub warbler (scientific name Scotocerca inquieta (Cretzschmar, 1830)) is a small, secretive desert warbler that habitually cocks its tail over its back.

Adult Upperpart Appearance

Adult streaked scrub warblers are grey-brown on their upperparts, with fine dark brown streaking.

They have a broad pale supercilium and a thin black eyestripe.

Adult Underpart Appearance

Their underparts are whitish, with reddish coloring on the flanks and vent, and the breast has fine streaking.

Adult Tail Appearance

The tail is graduated, dark brown, and has a white tip.

Juvenile Appearance

Juvenile birds are duller in color than adults.

Vocalization

The song of the streaked scrub warbler is distinctive, and is transcribed as "zit-zit dweedle-doolredle-doleed".

General Habitat

This species occurs in open desert with sparse scrub cover.

Specific Habitat Preferences

It is especially common in wadi beds, which have denser vegetation cover than the surrounding open desert, and also lives on scree slopes with bushes in ravines and gorges.

Diet Composition

Its main diet consists of insects, but it also eats seeds; seeds may be a very important food source for the species in winter.

Foraging Behavior

It forages on the ground, searching through leaf litter and other debris under bushes and into cavities, and will sometimes also feed up in vegetation.