Page:The British Warblers A History with Problems of Their Lives - 6 of 9.djvu/46

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BRITISH WARBLERS

under tail-coverts whitish buff, the underparts of the tail rusty mauve and the shafts of the feathers whitish buff. Axillaries and under wing-coverts are whitish isabelline and the underside of the wing the same colour as the underside of the tail, only paler. The bill is horn brown, the posterior part of the lower mandible being dark flesh colour. The iris is dark brown and the feet greyish buff.

The autumn plumage is similar but rather paler.

The young resemble the adults but the upper parts are rather more reddish, the eye stripe yellowish, and the lores a little lighter brown.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.

There are only three records of the occurrence of this warbler in England, two from Devon and one from Sussex; the only other record for the British Islands being a specimen which was obtained at the Old Head of Kinsale, Co. Cork.

This bird is a southern species not found in France and apparently not visiting the northern parts of the Peninsula. However in the south of Spain and Portugal it is common, especially in Andalucia, Murcia, Valencia, Castellon and the Balearic Islands. Occasionally it reaches Italy. Malta is passed on migration, and it is found breeding in parts of Palestine. Throughout Morocco, Algeria, Tripoli and Egypt it is generally distributed and it is found in the Egyptian Soudan and on the White Nile both in winter and spring, visiting in addition Abyssinia and Somali Land in winter.

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