Very early Savi’s Warblers trapped and ringed – Sabkaht Al Fasl

Whilst ringing at Sabkhat Al Fasl 23 February 2018 we trapped and ringed two Savi’s Warlers. These birds were the earliest ones we have ringed in Saudi Arabia with the previous records including eight birds from 20 March until 18 April and six in the autumn from 23 September until 24 October. Savi’s Warbler previously had a status, until this ringing project, as a scarce passage migrant but our ringing records show the species is in fact an uncommon passage migrant through the Eastern Province of the Kingdom at least. The subspecies fuscus we get in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is darker coloured, has more obvious under-tail covert tips and some streaking/spotting on the throat making it look more like a River Warbler than the nominate subspecies. The throat markings are not as dark and well defined and the undertail coverts more warm toned than in River Warbler and the supercilium is more obvious behind the eye. This record shows Savi’s Warblers occur on spring migration from late February onwards and this is backed up by a record of mine of three heard reeling in late February 2016.

Some spring migrants in northwest Saudi Arabia – Bird record by Euan Ferguson

Euan Ferguson was in Saudi Arabia with a couple of other birdwatchers in spring 2017, conducting an environmental survey and found a number of good birds and many migrants in the northwest if the Kingdom at Sharma on the Red Sea coast and further inland at Dumat. The survey team added a lot of knowledge to the birds seen in the area showing how valuable environmental surveys can be. Euan sent me a number of his photos and has kindly allowed me to use them on my website some of which are shown below.

Bluethroat

Little Bittern

Green Bee-eater

Ortolan Bunting

Common Quail 

Savi's Warbler

Spotted Flycatcher 

Turkestan Shrike

Wryneck

Black-headed Wagtail

Savi’s Warbler trapped and ringed - Jubail

Recently there have been a number of reeling Savi’s Warblers around Jubail Whilst ringing at Sabkhat Al Fasl fourteen Savi’s Warbler we have trapped and ringed. Birds have occurred mainly in the spring with eight records from 20 March until 18 April and six in the autumn from 23 September until 24 October. Savi’s Warbler previously had a status, until this ringing project, as a scarce passage migrant but our ringing records show the species is in fact an uncommon passage migrant through the Eastern Province of the Kingdom at least. The subspecies fuscus we get in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is darker coloured, has more obvious under-tail covert tips and some streaking/spotting on the throat making it look more like a River Warbler than the nominate subspecies. The throat markings are not as dark and well defined and the undertail coverts more warm toned than in River Warbler and the supercilium is more obvious behind the eye.

Three Savis Warblers trapped and ringed - Jubail

Whilst ringing at Sabkhat Al Fasl ten Savi’s Warbler we have trapped and ringed in the last two years. Birds have occurred mainly in the spring with seven records from 20 March until 18 April and three in the autumn from 26 September until 24 October. This year we trapped and ringed three birds on 23 September 2016. Savi’s Warbler previously had a status until this ringing project as a scarce passage migrant but our ringing records show the species is in fact an uncommon passage migrant through the Eastern Province of the Kingdom at least. The subspecies fuscus we get in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is darker coloured, has more obvious under-tail covert tips and some streaking/spotting on the throat making it look more like a River Warbler than the nominate subspecies. The throat markings are not as dark and well defined and the undertail coverts more warm toned than in River Warbler though and the supercilium is more obvious behind the eye. The photos below show two of the three birds trapped.

Seven Savi’s Warblers - Jubail

Recently there have been a number of reeling Savi’s Warblers around Jubail with three heard in late February and seven heard by Phil Roberts on 25 March 2016. Whilst ringing at Sabkhat Al Fasl ten Savi’s Warbler we have trapped and ringed in the last two years. Birds have occurred mainly in the spring with seven records from 20 March until 18 April and three in the autumn from 26 September until 24 October. Savi’s Warbler previously had a status until this ringing project as a scarce passage migrant but our ringing records show the species is in fact an uncommon passage migrant through the Eastern Province of the Kingdom at least. These seven birds reeling also indicate numbers are increasing in the region. The subspecies fuscus we get in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is darker coloured, has more obvious under-tail covert tips and some streaking/spotting on the throat making it look more like a River Warbler than the nominate subspecies. The throat markings are not as dark and well defined and the undertail coverts more warm toned than in River Warbler though and the supercilium is more obvious behind the eye.

The tenth Savi’s Warbler trapped and ringed – Sabkhat Al Fasl

Whilst ringing at Sabkhat Al Fasl on 10 October 2015 we caught a Savi’s Warbler, which was the tenth Savi’s Warbler we have trapped and ringed in the last two years at this site. Birds have occurred mainly in the spring with seven records from 20 March until 18 April and three in the autumn from 26 September until 24 October. Savi’s Warbler previously had a status until this ringing project of a scarce passage migrant but our ringing records show the species is in fact an uncommon passage migrant through the Eastern Province of the Kingdom at least. The subspecies fuss we get in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is darker coloured, has more obvious underrated cover tips and some streaking/spotting on the throat making it look more like a River Warbler than the nominate subspecies. The throat markings are not as dark and well defined and the undertail coverts more warm toned than in River Warbler though and the supercilious is more obvious behind the eye.

Plenty of birds caught whilst ringing – Sabkhat Al Fasl

The last two weekends we have caught plenty of birds at Sabkhat Al Fasl and are now averaging well over thirty birds per session with 43 caught and ringed on 27 March. Most birds, as always, were common reed loving species such as Indian (Clamorous) Reed Warblers, Caspian Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers but we also caught a few scarcer species such as five Savi’s Warblers and a Common Grasshopper Warbler on 27 March, indicating a small fall of Locustella warblers had occurred. As mentioned previously the Savi’s Warbler previously had a status as a scarce passage migrant but we have now caught nine different birds in just over a year ringing at this site showing the species is in fact an uncommon passage migrant through the Eastern Province at least. We are still catching small numbers of Common Chiffchaff, Red-spotted Bluethroat and Common Kingfisher, three wintering species that will be leaving the region in the next few days/weeks. Passage migrants are also being caught including both, Daurian and Turkestan Shrikes, the first Willow Warbler of the spring on 27 March, Meneteris’s Warbler and Eurasian Blackcap. Other birds caught are breeding residents such as Little Bittern, House Sparrow and Graceful Prinia.

Caspian Reed Warbler

Indian (Clamorous) Reed Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Savi's Warblers

Savi's Warbler

Savi's Warbler

Common Chiffchaff

Willow Warbler

Common Kingfisher - male

Turkestan Shrike

Turkestan Shrike

Little Bittern - female

House Sparrow - female

Savi’s Warbler trapped & ringed – Sabkhat Al Fasl

Previously the status of Savi’s Warbler in Saudi Arabia was thought to be a rare passage migrant but records from our ringing site at Sabkhat Al Fasl have indicated that it is an uncommon passage migrant from late February until May and from August to October. Some birds stay in the same area for a few weeks in spring but there are no indications of birds breeding. The earliest singing bird was heard on 6 March 2015 with one caught and ringed 20 March 2015 in a different location. The  latest spring bird trapped was caught and ringed 18 April 2014, between a small reed patch and the main reedbeds. In the autumn two were caught in the main reed patch 26 September and 24 October 2014. The October record was late for the species as most birds are seen in September. The subspecies of Savi’s Warbler that occurs in the region is Locustella luscinoides fusca which is more olive brown with paler under-parts and more obvious white tips to the under-tail coverts than the nominate European form L l luscinodes making it look more like a River Warbler L fluviatilis although the white tips to the undertail coverts are narrower and less contrasting than this species. L l fusca breeds in Turkey & Jordon eastwards to central Asia including north and south Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, north-east Iran and probably north-west Afghanistan. They winter in northeast Africa principally in Sudan & Ethiopia.

Savi's Warbler trapped and ringed - Sabkhat Al Fasl

Last Friday Nicole and I trapped and ringed our second Savi’s Warbler of the autumn at Sabkhat Al Fasl. This is quite a late date for the species in Saudi Arabia where most autumn records occur in September. Up until recently the status of Savi’s Warbler was thought to be a rare passage migrant at Sabkhat Al Fasl (Symens & Suhaibani 1996), but records from the site over 2014 have indicated that it is an uncommon passage migrant from late February until May and scarce from August to October. Some birds stay in the same area for a few weeks in spring but there are no indications of birds breeding. During ringing at the site this year we have trapped and ringed a single bird in the spring on 18 April between a small reed patch and the main reedbeds and another two in the autumn on 26 September and 24 October in the main reed beds. The subspecies of Savi’s Warbler that occurs in the region is Locustella luscinoides fusca which is more olive brown with paler under-parts and more obvious white tips to the under-tail coverts than the nominate European form L l luscinodes making it look slightly different and more like a River Warbler. L l fusca breeds in Turkey & Jordon eastwards to central Asia including north and south Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, north-east Iran and probably north-west Afghanistan. They winter in north-east Africa principally in Sudan & Ethiopia.

Savi’s Warbler trapped and ringed – Sabkhat Al Fasl

Whilst ringing on 26 September we caught a Savi’s Warbler. Savi’s Warbler has a status as a rare migrant to all areas of Saudi Arabia but the number of records of birds seen, heard singing or trapped whilst I have been in the Eastern Province in the last four years makes the true status as an uncommon migrant in both spring and autumn. This is the second Savi’s Warbler trapped and ringed at this site in 2014 and we caught and ringed four birds in Bahrain in two years ringing there, where it previously had a status as a vagrant.  Although it was extremely hot for ringing we managed to catch a few birds including Yellow Wagtail, House Sparrow, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Little Bittern (Females & Juvenile), Graceful Prinia, Indian Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler and a Sand Martin. Yellow Wagtail and Sand Martin were new ringing species for us so although numbers were not particularly high we had a good mornings ringing before it became too hot to continue at 40 degrees Celsius.

Savi's Warbler

Savi's Warbler

Savi's Warbler

Yellow Wagtail 

Sand Martin

Graceful Prinia

Great Reed Warbler

House Sparrow - adult male

Little Bittern - adult female