Garden Warbler

Sylvia borin (Boddaert, 1783)

2017-05-28 Desert of North Trans-Caspian Sea area.	© Askar Isabekov

Distribution

Breeds in Northern Kazakhstan. on migration observed mostly in Western Kazakhstan. Please see the detailed distribution in the section Subspecies.

Biology

Locally common breeding migrant, but abundant passage migrant in lower reaches of Ural river. Inhabits the bush thickets and coppice forests on edges and the undergrowth inside forests, prefer the wet but not marshy sites. On migration occurs in tree-bush vegetation, shelterbelts and rare in reed-beds. In spring appears in end of April - early May, most birds migrate in first half of May, latest migrants recorded in end of May - mid-June. Breeds in separate pairs at distance 100-150 m from each other. Nest is located in bush (raspberry, elder, bird cherry, buckthorn, black thorn, juniper, blackberry) or in tree (birch, oak, elm, lime, poplar, willow), lower than 3 m; nest is built from the dry grass stems and is lined with thin grass, rootlets and hair. Male begins to build the nest and constructs the platform to which he attracts the female, then both partners together continue and finish to build the nest for 3-6 days. Usually male constructs several platforms. Clutch of 3-6 eggs is laid in end of May to early July. Both parents incubate clutch for 10-13 days and feed juveniles which fledge at age 8-13 days old, in end of June - early July. Rears one brood per season, re-nesting after loss of first clutch is common. Autumn migration begins in end of July, most birds migrate in end of August - first half of September, latest birds recorded in early October. At Chokpak Pass singles ringed in September 5-23, 1967 and 1989, September 6, 2002, September 23, 2003.

Subspecies

Sylvia borin woodwardi (Sharpe, 1877) Description. Upper parts are more pure grey, less brownish-grey than borin. Distribution. Breeds in Northern Kazakhstan, close to Kokchetav and probably between Tobol and Ishim to north from Semiozernoye. Single birds observed in Shortandy area (August 6, 2000) and in Mugodjary ridge (Urkach forest, mid June). On spring migration recorded in lower current of Turgay river; in autumn migration in lower current of Sarysu river (September 10, 1986), in Kurgaldzhino on Nura river, near Almaty and at Chokpak Pass in Western Tien Shan.

Sylvia borin borin (Boddaert, 1783) Description. Upper parts are more brownish-grey, less pure grey than pallida. Distribution. Probably breeds in middle current of Ural valley, episodically breeds in Uzen rivers valleys and probably in Urda. On migration in Western Kazakhstan is very common, especially in lower current of Ural valley. Recorded in lower current of Emba river and on Mangyshlak.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.