Scientific name: Sylvia sarda Temminck, 1820
Bird group: Warblers
Field characters. 12.5 cm. Small warbler with long tail, likely to be confused with Dartford Warbler only. Male dark lead grey on head, upperparts, throat and breast. Tail long and dark. with white edges. Wings somewhat paler brownish. Belly grey-white, legs, eye-ring and iris red. Female similar but paler, juvenile brown instead of grey. Juvenile strongly resembles juvenile Dartford Warbler but has different call and is darker overall: slate-grey above (Dartford more brownish) and grey-brown below (Dartford more buffish), throat paler and lore dark (juvenile Dartford Warblerhas pale lore). Flight low and jerky, like Dartford Warbler Sometimes perches shortly on bush-top, cocking and waving tail.
Voice. Call 'drrrt' and 'tzik'. Song resembling Dartford Warbler, but shorter and sweeter.
Distribution. Locally common, partly resident.
Habitat. Dry open areas with dense scrub, but more often in trees than Dartford Warbler.
Food. Mainly invertebrates and berries.