Savi's Warbler (Locustella luscinioides) [XC563464]
by Stanislas Wroza from Berneuil, Charente-Maritime, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France (call, flight call, song)
Savi's Warbler (Locustella luscinioides) [XC192084]
by Harry Lehto from , Spain (song)
Nest
A loose, outer cup of waterside plants, with a firmer inner cup, attached to the base of reeds and other plants that grow in swamp conditions, lined with finer fibers.
Eggs (Guide)
4 - 5; white, densely speckled with shades of brown, mostly at the larger end.
Subspecies
Forms a species pair with Eurasian River Warbler (Locustella fluviatilis). Studies of mitochondrial DNA indicate that the two form a group with Lanceolated Warbler (Locustella lanceolata) and Common Grasshopper-Warbler (Locustella naevia). Close affinities of these with certain Asian Bradypterus species is also suggested.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
luscinioides (Savi, 1824) - Breeds continental Europe southern from southern Baltic and east to central Urals, Crimea and Balkans, also north-western Africa (northern Morocco east to northern Tunisia). Non-breeding western Africa (Senegal east to L Chad, south to northern Ghana), probably also southern Sudan.
sarmatica Kazakov, 1973 - Breeds eastern Ukraine (from about Khark'ov and eastern shore of Sea of Azov) east to southern Urals, Volga Valley and northern foothills of Caucasus. Non-breeding north-eastern Africa.
fusca (Severtsov, 1873) - Breeds Asia Minor, Levant, northern and southern Kazakhstan (eastern from upper Emba valley and Aral Sea), Turkmenistan, north-eastern Iran, probably also north-western Afghanistan. Non-breeding north-eastern Africa.
The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7
BirdLife International Species Factsheet