Sylviid warblers · Perching birds
Asian Desert Warbler
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Curruca nana
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How to recognize it
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12–12.5 cm, smaller than a sparrow
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Pale grey-brown above, whitish below
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Thin yellowish bill, pale legs
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Clear jingling song; harsh chips, "tiri-tiryu"
About the species
The Asian Desert Warbler moves low through sparse shrubs and dry ground, often staying out of sight unless it sings. Its voice is a clear, jingling song with some harsher notes mixed in, and it may give that song in a short display flight.
It keeps busy in semi-desert and dry steppe, using low bushes for nesting and often feeding on the ground. It takes insects and small berries, and the sexes look much the same.
In the breeding season it uses dry country from the deserts of central and western Asia to the edge of eastern Europe. In winter it shifts to similar open habitats farther south, reaching Arabia, northwestern India, and the Red Sea coast.
Where to find
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On vacant lots and dry scrubby edges — it often drops to the ground to pick insects, then vanishes back into low bushes.
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Along railway embankments and rough roadside strips — listen for the faint rattling calls from cover.
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On edge lawns beside overgrown wasteland — noticeable when it runs quickly over bare ground and slips into the grass.
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In dry courtyard patches with wormwood and a few shrubs — sometimes sings from a bush top after a short fluttering flight.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Curruca nana Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Asian desert warbler Encyclopedia article