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Hippolais icterina

Icterine warbler

Habitus (CC BY 2.0) Derek Keats

Short Description

The characteristic feature of the comparatively small, slim icterine warbler are its strikingly yellow underparts. Its upper parts are brown-olive.

Features

Icterine warbler

Hippolais icterina

  • strikingly yellow underparts

Gesang

Conrads (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Similar species

Willow warbler

Phylloscopus trochilus
The willow warbler has an obvious eye stripe (supercilium) and a notched tail. However, they are easier distinguished by their song.

Wood warbler

Phylloscopus sibillatrix
The wood warbler has a whitish chest and underparts. Its plumage is yellow-green.
Habitus (CC BY 4.0) Marton Berntsen

In the city

The icterine warbler nests in hedges in gardens, parks and cemeteries. Plant-covered façades are also used as nesting places.

Fun Facts

  • This migratory bird can be observed in Germany from early May to early October. It leaves Berlin already in late July to fly south.

  • It used to be a very common songbird in all kinds of gardens.

  • In its song, it often imitates other birds such as thrushes or swallows.

  • It feeds mainly on insects. Occasionally, it may eat spiders or small snails.

  • Endangerment level Germany: not endangered
Habitus (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) Chris Romeiks/vogelart.info

Sources

Habitus , Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Icterine_warbler,_Hippolais_icterina,_at_Dinokeng_Game_Reserve,_Gauteng-Limpopo,_South_Africa_(16372546155).jpg

Habitus , Marton Berntsen, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gulsanger_(Hippolais_icterina)_(cropped).JPG

Habitus , Chris Romeiks/vogelart.info, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hippolais_icterina_vogelartinfo_chris_romeiks_R7F2916.jpg

Bejcek, V. (1988) Zugvögel, Hanau/Main: Verlag Werner Dausien.

Fiedler, W. (2015) Die Vögel Mitteleuropas sicher bestimmen - Schlüssel zur Art-, Alters- und Geschlechtsbestimmung, Wiebelsheim: Quelle & Meyer Verlag.

Makatsch, W. (1989) Wir bestimmen die Vögel Europas, Leipzig: Neumann Verlag.

Voigt, A. (2006) Exkursionsbuch zum Studium der Vogelstimmen, Heidelberg: Quelle & Meyer Verlag.

Svensson, L. (2011) Der Kosmos Vogelführer - Alle Arten Europas, Nordafrikas und Vorderasiens, Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.

Harrison, C. (1975) Jungvögel, Eier und Nester aller Vögel Europas, Nordafrikas und des Mittleren Ostens - Ein Naturführer zur Fortpflanzungsbiologie, Hamburg und Berlin: Verlag Paul Parey.

Bezirksamt Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf (n.d.) Gelbspötter, URL: https://www.berlin.de/ba-charlottenburg-wilmersdorf/verwaltung/aemter/umwelt-und-naturschutzamt/naturschutz/pflanzen-artenschutz/artikel.112950.php (Accessed: 18.04.2016).

Schweizerische Vogelwarte Sempach (n.d.) Gelbspötter - Hippolais icterina, URL: http://www.vogelwarte.ch/de/voegel/voegel-der-schweiz/gelbspoetter.html (Accessed: 10.02.2021).