Sardinian Warbler

The Sardinian Warbler is a largely sedentary species, which makes it vulnerable to harsh climates. The Sardinian Warbler lives primarily alone or in pairs. It is a species that likes to hide but sometimes displays a certain boldness and a good deal of curiosity. From time to time, it emerges from the cover and perches furtively on the tops of bushes to observe, twitching its tail and ruffling the feathers of its hood.

SARDINIAN WARBLER

Description

In the Sardinian Warbler, the adult male has a glossy black-anthracite hood. This hood covers the top and sides of the head down to below the eyes, contrasting sharply with the white throat. Its eye, edged with red in adults and white in juveniles, is barely visible from a distance. The slate-grey upperparts are tinged with brownish. The tail, quite long and graduated, is blackish, edged with white on the outer rectrices. The underparts are white, washed with ash-grey on the flanks and undertail coverts. The brownish-black flight feathers have grey edges. The black bill is brownish at the base. The legs are pinkish-brown, the iris brown. In the adult female, the crown is slate-grey, the rump and uppertail coverts greyer than in the male. The flanks and undertail coverts are browner. The tail is browner with less pure white outer rectrices. Juveniles resemble the females.

Flight

To move from one bush to another, she makes a short, bounding flight during which the white of her tail feathers can be seen. The male's courtship flight is demonstrative, with a characteristic fluttering movement.

Habitat

The Sardinian Warbler's range is essentially limited to the Mediterranean region; in France, it is found in Languedoc and Provence. It prefers open habitats dotted with bushes, such as garrigue, heathland, parks, gardens, and maquis. It is primarily found at low altitudes (garrigue and plains, along the coast). Thus, it is present in the Camargue.

Regime - Diet

The Sardinian Warbler feeds mainly on insects, berries, fruit, and sometimes nectar. It also consumes small invertebrates such as small gastropod molluscs.

Nesting

From mid-March, the two adults begin building the nest, well concealed in the vegetation (shrub, heather, bush among clumps of grass). The Sardinian Warbler nests close to the ground, most often at a very low height between 25 and 90 cm.

Both adults build the nest with twigs and dry grasses reinforced with spiderwebs. The interior is lined with plant down, small roots, fine grasses, and horsehair. There are two broods per year, the first from late March to May, the second in June-July. The female lays 3-4 whitish eggs speckled with brown and gray and incubates them for 11 to 12 days; the altricial chicks fledge after 11 to 12 days.

Protection

Protected status. The Sardinian Warbler is not considered threatened at the European or national level. Severe winters can be the main cause of mortality for resident birds.

Song

The song becomes very regular from the beginning of March. It consists of grating notes alternating with more melodious babbling. The most typical call is a sudden and powerful "trrétrrétrrétrré" of 4-6 syllables. The alarm call is a repetition of "tchèt" or "tcheur," sometimes isolated, and a softer "tjiou."

Species sheet