Hippolais pallida - Olivaceous Warbler
Feather characters. Barbules are rather short (0.74-0.80 mm) and divided into pigmented nodes and unpigmented internodes. Bell-shaped nodes are equally distributed along the entire length of barbules (40-44 per mm). They all are about the same size, slightly decreasing towards distal end. Villi are rounded and internodes are straight. Minute prongs are present on distal end of barbules and on both sides of the pennulum. Barbules have this typical structure for Passeriformes; pigmented, bell-shaped nodes combined with rounded villi.
Field characters. Size 13 cm. Weight 10.6 g (9.1-12.3) (Dunning, 1993). A pale brown to grey warbler, somewhat resembling Garden Warbler (but smaller and more slender), Reed Warbler (but with longer bill with yellow instead of orange base, greyer, almost black-looking eye and white on outer tail feathers) and Booted Warbler (Hippolais caligata, not included in BRIS) (but larger, with longer and stouter bill with all-pale lower mandible and no or only faint supercilium behind eye). No obvious field marks. Supercilium indistinct and whitish, wing panel indistinct or absent. Frequently 'pumps' tail while feeding or calling (while calling is characteristic). Shy, hiding in foliage.
Voice. Calls short and subdued 'chack' or 'chrr'. Song hurried and warbling, resembling Reed Warbler, but mellower.
Distribution. Rare and local in western part of range, more common in east. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Variety of half open habitats with plenty of dense shrub or trees, like gardens, orchards, river banks, etc.
Food. Insects and berries. Feeds in dense cover.