Mindy & Sherif Baha el Din

Introduction

There have been a number of recent reports of Upcher's Warbler Hippolais languida from Egypt, but no formal description has been published. Goodman & Meininger (1989) did not admit the species to the Egyptian list, since the only evidence for its occurrence was an unsubstantiated statement by Hovel (1987) that 'Upcher's Warbler is a scarce passage visitor to Sinai'. Recent observations however indicate that Hovel's comment was correct.

There are now seven records of the species from Egypt, all but two from Sinai. The first record was of one observed at the Sheraton Hotel, Hurghada on 10 August 1987 (A. Grieve pers. comm.). Subsequently an individual was found in Wadi Rishat, south of Qusaima, north Sinai on 4 May 1990 (S. Baha el Din in Anon.1990) and three were at Sharm el Sheikh, south Sinai on 24 August 1991 (H. Kahl in Anon. 1991). The fourth, fifth and sixth records were all by the authors: one at Wadi Geraffi, near Ras El Naqab, north Sinai on 8 April 1992, another at Qusaima on 25 April 1992 and one at St Katherine airport, south Sinai on 7 August 1992. The most recent record was one at Bulaq, Kharga Oasis in the Western Desert on 20 March 1993 (A. Riad pers. comm.).

The following is a description of the bird at Wadi Geraffi on 8 April 1992. It was observed for over 45 minutes as it foraged in bushes of Lygos raetum along the wadi. Comparisons were made between this individual, a Bonelli's Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli and a Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca which were feeding in the same area. Subsequently a number of field guides and identification papers were consulted, particularly Hollom et al. (1988), Harrap (1990) and Fry (1990).

Size and structure A large hippolais; much larger than Bonelli's Warbler and marginally bigger than Lesser Whitethroat, with a steep forehead and crown peaking just behind the eye. Stocky structure similar to a sylvia, but overall appearance was typically hippolais in character, especially the elongated head and bill. Tail fairly long, longer than in Olivaceous Warbler H. pallida.

Plumage Distinct whitish supercilium and thin dark eyestripe. Upperparts grey with a visible pale wing panel. Tail feathers darker grey in comparison to the rest of the upperparts. Whilst difficult to discern, the white outertail feathers were noted on several occasions. Underparts whitish, except for the underside of the tail, which was grey.Bare parts Relatively long, thick bill: upper mandible grey, lower mandible flesh coloured. Eye dark with a distinct pale eye ring. Legs grey with some flesh tones.

Behaviour An active feeder, although appearing relatively sluggish in comparison to the other two warblers nearby. It exhibited the characteristic tail wagging movement of Upcher's Warbler (Fry 1990). This tail movement was very different from that of Olivaceous Warbler, which is less conspicuous and more of a flicking motion.

Voice Call frequently repeated, similar to Olivaceous, and not unlike that of Lesser Whitethroat, but louder.

Discussion

Upcher's Warblers passing through Egypt are presumably from Near Eastern populations breeding in Israel, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey; and wintering in east Africa. In Israel the species is also recorded as a passage migrant: in early autumn between July-August and in late spring from the end of April to early May (Paz 1987). It is also regularly recorded on migration in eastern Arabia, but this probably constitutes birds from breeding populations further east. It is to be expected that some Upcher's Warblers migrate through Egypt, given the country's strategic location on Western Palearctic migration routes. In the past the species has probably been overlooked due to a lack of observers and difficulties with identification.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Andrew Grieve who supplied a description of Upcher's Warbler and reviewed the first draft of this article. Special thanks to Ahmed Riad for providing additional information.

References

Anon (1990) Western Palearctic News. Birding World 4:307-308.
Anon (1991) Western Palearctic News. Birding World 5:181-183.
Fry, H. (1990) Foraging behaviour and identification of Upcher's Warbler. Brit. Birds 83:217-221.
Goodman, S.M. & Meininger, P.L. (eds) (1989) The birds of Egypt. Oxford University Press.
Harrap, S. (1990) Identification of Hippolais warblers. Birding World 3:268-272.
Hollom, P.A.D., Porter, R.F., Christensen, S. & Willis, I. (1988) Birds of the Middle East and North Africa. T.& A.D. Poyser, Calton.
Hovel, H. (1987) Checklist of the birds of Israel. Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, Tel Aviv.
Paz, U. (1987) The birds of Israel. Christopher Helm, London.

Mindy & Sherif Baha el Din, 4 Ismail El Mazni St, Apt. 8, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt.