Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • France

Bird name: Sardinian Warbler
Latin: Sylvia melanocephala
Other: Fauvette Mélanocéphale (Fr) • Curruca cabecinegra (Es) • Occhiocotto (It) • Toutinegra-de-cabeça-preta (Pt)
Family: Sylviidae • Warblers
Range: Mediterranean rim: France, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, N Africa etc
Similar: Blackcap, other warblers

The Sardinian Warbler is resident in the south of France all year round. Fairly widespread - even seen in Monaco.

The bright red eye-ring is the key distinguishing mark. Males (above) have well-defined black caps which extend below the eye and females (below) are browner and duller.
More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Monaco • April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Chiffchaff
Latin: Phylloscopus collybita
Other: Common Chiffchaff • Pouillot véloce (Fr) • Luì piccolo (It) • Mosquitero común (Es) • Zilpzalp (De), Weidenlaubsänger
Family: Phylloscopidae • Leaf Warblers

The Chiffchaff is the archetypal cute little brown bird - fairly featureless and easily confused with several other warblers, especially the Willow Warbler. Many winter here on the coast, whereas the Willow Warbler all migrate, allowing the former to be identified more easily.

Chiffchaffs have a lightish supercilium and light lower eyering, with yellowish-white chest and belly feathers. Dark legs.

A small bird, and generally difficult to photograph in nature, but I have recently discovered they are regular visitors to my balcony! This is a good time to observe the little fellas up close.

Chiffchaffs seem prone to bill deformities - I have a few pics, which I may upload later, of several “different-looking” chiffchaffs.

The range of chiffchaffs is quite large: Spain to Siberia in the summer and sub-Saharan Africa, Spain, Morocco, India, Middle East, Mediterranean coast, and parts of France and the UK in the winter.More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Cote d’Azur, France • 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Blackcap
Latin: Sylvia atricapilla
Other: Fauvette à tête noire
Family: Sylviidae • Sylviid Warblers

Blackcaps are nice small birds, not overly shy, with an attractive song. They are conveniently colour-coded, black caps are male and red-brown caps are female or juveniles.

They can have sleek plumage or be very chubby and fluffy. The latter are often juveniles. There are a couple of similar birds on the coast here. The Sardinian Warbler is easily differentiated, as its cap runs below the eye, whereas the Blackcap's runs through the eye. The Marsh Tit has a black bib, below the beak, which the Blackcap lacks.

The Blackcap is not uncommon in Monaco and especially visible in the winter.

More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Danube Delta, Romania • May 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Sedge Warbler
Latin: Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
Other: Phragmite des joncs (fr)
Family: Acrocephalidae • Reed Warblers

These Sedge Warblers were living in the reeds on Caraorman Island, a large sand bank, in the Danube Delta. From time to time they would jump up from the reeds fly around a bit and head back down.More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Etang de Villepey St Aygulf • May 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Great Reed Warbler
Latin: Acrocephalus arundinaceus
Other: Rousserolle turdoïde (des rivières)
Family: Acrocephalidae • Reed Warblers

Pleased to observe this Great Reed Warbler in Hyeres at the weekend. It alerted us to its presence by its loud song and soon appeared to collect bedding material for its nest in the reeds from the salt lake. Later it flew to a high point and started singing loudly. Quite a large bird, about the size of a starling.More photos...

Bird name: Cetti’s Warbler
Latin: Cettia cetti
Other: Bouscarle de Cetti
Family: Cettiidae • Cettia Bush Warblers

Photo: monacoeye • Nice • April 2009

A quick shot of a Cetti’s Warbler who was entertaining us with her song.More photos...

Bird name: Common Whitethroat
Latin: Sylvia communis
Other: Fauvette grisette
Family: Sylviidae • Warblers

Photo: monacoeye • Nice • April 2009

This female Whitethroat was in the reed banks by Cap 3000 in Nice. Not much of a photo, but I was pleased to see her at least. The river banks are now full of birds where there were very few just a month ago.More photos...

184 Phylloscopidae - Leaf warblers and allies - IOC 2.5 - 2010

Phylloscopus ruficapilla - Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler - E, S Africa
Phylloscopus laurae - Laura's Woodland Warbler - SC Africa
Phylloscopus laetus - Red-faced Woodland Warbler - EC Africa
Phylloscopus herberti - Black-capped Woodland Warbler - WC Africa
Phylloscopus budongoensis - Uganda Woodland Warbler - EC Africa
Phylloscopus umbrovirens - Brown Woodland Warbler - E, Africa, also Arabian Peninsula
Phylloscopus trochilus - Willow Warbler - Widespread Eurasia - Africa
Phylloscopus collybita - Common Chiffchaff - Widespread Eurasia - S Asia, N Africa
Phylloscopus ibericus - Iberian Chiffchaff - SW Europe, Eurasia, also NW Africa - W Africa
Phylloscopus canariensis - Canary Islands Chiffchaff - Canary Islands
Phylloscopus sindianus - Mountain Chiffchaff - Turkey to Himalayas - S Asia
Phylloscopus neglectus - Plain Leaf Warbler - SC Eurasia - S Asia
Phylloscopus bonelli - Western Bonelli's Warbler - SW Eurasia - N Africa
Phylloscopus orientalis - Eastern Bonelli's Warbler - SC Eurasia - NE Africa
Phylloscopus sibilatrix - Wood Warbler - W Eurasia - W, C Africa
Phylloscopus fuscatus - Dusky Warbler - NE Asia, WC China - Asia
Phylloscopus fuligiventer - Smoky Warbler - E Himalayas, C, E Tibetan Plateau - NE India
Phylloscopus affinis - Tickell's Leaf Warbler - Himalayas - India to Burma
Phylloscopus occisinensis - Alpine Leaf Warbler - WC China - Uncertain - Split from Tickell's Leaf Warbler P. affinis
Phylloscopus subaffinis - Buff-throated Warbler - C, S China - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus griseolus - Sulphur-bellied Warbler - WC Eurasia - India
Phylloscopus armandii - Yellow-streaked Warbler - NE, C China - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus schwarzi - Radde's Warbler - NE Eurasia - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus pulcher - Buff-barred Warbler - Himalayas, C China - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus maculipennis - Ashy-throated Warbler - Himalayas, N Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus kansuensis - Gansu Leaf Warbler - NC China - ?
Phylloscopus yunnanensis - Chinese Leaf Warbler - N, C China - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus proregulus - Pallas's Leaf Warbler - E Eurasia - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus chloronotus - Lemon-rumped Warbler - Himalayas
Phylloscopus subviridis - Brooks's Leaf Warbler - SC Eurasia - N Pakistan, NW India
Phylloscopus inornatus - Yellow-browed Warbler - NC, NE Eurasia - Asia
Phylloscopus humei - Hume's Leaf Warbler - SC, C China - India
Phylloscopus borealis - Arctic Warbler - N, Eurasia, also W Alaska - Southeast Asia, Philippines
Phylloscopus nitidus - Green Warbler - SC Eurasia - India
Phylloscopus trochiloides - Greenish Warbler - W, C Eurasia - Asia
Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus - Two-barred Warbler - E Eurasia - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus tenellipes - Pale-legged Leaf Warbler - E Eurasia - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus borealoides - Sakhalin Leaf Warbler - Japan - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus magnirostris - Large-billed Leaf Warbler - Himalayas, C China - India
Phylloscopus tytleri - Tytler's Leaf Warbler - SC Eurasia - India
Phylloscopus occipitalis - Western Crowned Warbler - SC to W Himalayas - India
Phylloscopus coronatus - Eastern Crowned Warbler - E Eurasia - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus ijimae - Ijima's Leaf Warbler - Izu Islands - Philippines
Phylloscopus reguloides - Blyth's Leaf Warbler - NW, C, E Himalayas to W, C Indochina, SC Vietnam - Asia
Phylloscopus claudiae - Claudia's Leaf Warbler - C, E China - Split from P. reguloides
Phylloscopus goodsoni - Hartert's Leaf Warbler - SE China - Split from P. reguloides
Phylloscopus emeiensis - Emei Leaf Warbler - S China
Phylloscopus davisoni - Davison's Leaf Warbler - Yunnan, N, C, E Burma, NW Thailand, N, C Laos and N, C Vietnam. Asia - Was White-tailed Leaf Warbler
Phylloscopus ogilviegranti - Kloss's Leaf Warbler - SE, C Sichuan, SE Yunnan, to SC, S Vietnam - Split from P. davisoni
Phylloscopus hainanus - Hainan Leaf Warbler - S China
Phylloscopus forresti - Sichuan Leaf Warbler - SC China
Phylloscopus cantator - Yellow-vented Warbler - E Nepal to C Laos
Phylloscopus calciatilis - Limestone Leaf Warbler - N, C Vietnam, N, C Laos - new species related to Yellow-vented and Sulphur-breasted warblers
Phylloscopus ricketti - Sulphur-breasted Warbler - EC, S China - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus olivaceus - Philippine Leaf Warbler - Philippines
Phylloscopus cebuensis - Lemon-throated Leaf Warbler - Philippines
Phylloscopus trivirgatus - Mountain Leaf Warbler - Southeast Asia
Phylloscopus nigrorum - Negros Leaf Warbler - Philippines - Split from P. trivirgatus
Phylloscopus sarasinorum - Sulawesi Leaf Warbler - Sulawesi
Phylloscopus presbytes - Timor Leaf Warbler - Lesser Sundas
Phylloscopus poliocephalus - Island Leaf Warbler - Moluccas to New Guinea & Solomon Islands
Phylloscopus makirensis - Makira Leaf Warbler - Solomon Islands
Phylloscopus amoenus - Kolombangara Leaf Warbler - Solomon Islands
Phylloscopus xanthoschistos - Grey-hooded Warbler - Himalayas

Seicercus affinis - White-spectacled Warbler - E Himalayas to SE China, S Vietnam
Seicercus burkii - Green-crowned Warbler - Himalayas - N India
Seicercus tephrocephalus - Grey-crowned Warbler - NE India to N Vietnam, C China - N Southeast Asia
Seicercus whistleri - Whistler's Warbler - Himalayas to Burma
Seicercus valentini - Bianchi's Warbler - C, SE China, N Vietnam - S China, N Southeast Asia
Seicercus omeiensis - Martens's Warbler - C China - N Southeast Asia - Was Omei Warbler
Seicercus soror - Plain-tailed Warbler - C, SE China - N Southeast Asia
Seicercus poliogenys - Grey-cheeked Warbler - N India to S Vietnam
Seicercus castaniceps - Chestnut-crowned Warbler - Himalayas to Sumatra
Seicercus montis - Yellow-breasted Warbler - Malay Peninsula to Philippines, Asia, also Lesser Sundas
Seicercus grammiceps - Sunda Warbler - Sumatra, Java