Hippolais languida
The Upcher's Warbler (Hippolais languida) is a distinctive passerine bird belonging to the Acrocephalidae family, known for its rather drab yet elegant appearance. Measuring around 14-16 cm in length with a wingspan of 20-25 cm and weighing 10-15 grams, it presents with grey-brown upperparts, often with a hint of olive, contrasting with pale whitish to buff underparts. Key field marks include a prominent pale supercilium (eyebrow stripe), a relatively long, pointed bill, and notably long prim...
Found in arid and semi-arid scrublands, thorny bushes, dry riverbeds, sparse woodlands, and sometimes cultivated areas, typically at low to moderate elevations up to 1,500 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide variety of insects and their larvae, including beetles, ants, flies, and caterpillars. During certain periods, particularly migration, small berries may supplement their diet, primarily obtained by gleaning from foliage and bark.
Upcher's Warbler is a diurnal species, often active in the low to mid-story of dense scrub. It forages by gleaning insects from foliage and branches, often making short sallies. Males establish territories with a loud, rattling, chattering song that frequently incorporates mimicry of other bird s...
The Upcher's Warbler has a wide, disjunct breeding distribution extending from central Turkey, east through Syria, Iraq, and Iran, into Afghanistan and Central Asia, including Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Following the breeding season, these populations undertake a southward migratio...
Least Concern
- The Upcher's Warbler is named after Henry Morris Upcher, a British ornithologist and collector who worked in the Middle East. - It is the longest-tailed species among the 'Tree Warblers' of the genus Hippolais, giving it a distinctive silhouette. - Its complex song is highly mimetic, often inco...