Sykes's Warbler

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Sykes's Warbler in the UK

Sykes's Warbler is a very rare vagrant to Britain. It breeds from north-east Arabia through central Asia to western China and winters in India, so any bird here is far off course. The first was trapped on Fair Isle on 29 August 1959 and the second was there in 1977. It was treated as a race of Booted Warbler until the early 2000s, which is partly why older records are so few. There are now about 20 accepted British records, including birds at Porthgwarra, Cornwall, in 2018 and Blakeney Point, Norfolk, in 2021. Every claim is assessed by the national rarities committee.

Where and when to see a Sykes's Warbler

Shetland and Fair Isle account for about half of all records. The rest are spread across Orkney and coastal migration points such as Druridge Bay, Sheringham, Blakeney Point, Beachy Head, Portland and Scilly. Nearly all have arrived between mid-August and early October, earlier than most Siberian vagrants. Birds feed low in crops, iris beds, weedy ditches and coastal bushes. Nearly all have been found by observatory staff or visiting birders working cover after easterly winds, and news goes out through the bird information services.

Habitat, diet and field notes

Habitat: Coastal scrub (very rare).
Diet: Insects.
Field note: Pale; Asian.

How to identify a Sykes's Warbler

A small, plain, milky-brown warbler, a little smaller than a Reed Warbler, with whitish underparts and no streaks or wingbars. Compared with Booted Warbler it looks longer-billed, longer-tailed and shorter-winged, with a flatter crown. The face is bland: a short pale stripe that barely passes the eye and no dark border above it. The bill is long and fine with a mostly pale lower mandible. It moves slowly through low cover and often flicks its tail. Photographs of the bill, wing length and face pattern are needed for a record to be accepted.

Call and song

The call is a short, dry 'chek' or 'tek', much like Booted Warbler and easy to pass over. The song is a fast, scratchy chatter but is almost never heard in Britain. Most vagrants are quiet. Heard something you cannot place? Bird Hear identifies UK birds from a 10 second recording, free in your browser.

Confusion species

• Booted Warbler: Booted Warbler is smaller and more Chiffchaff-like, with a shorter bill and a stronger pale stripe over the eye that has a dark upper border.
• Eastern Olivaceous Warbler: Eastern Olivaceous is larger and greyer with a broader bill, a pale wing panel and a habit of pumping its tail downwards.
• Common Reed Warbler: Reed Warbler is warmer brown with a rusty rump, a rounded tail and long undertail coverts.

Related guide Rare birds in the UK.

Conservation status and Birdedex points

In the Birdedex the Sykes's Warbler is a Legendary tier bird, worth +50 points when you log one. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Western Olivaceous WarblerLegendary · Coastal scrub (very rare)
• Eastern Olivaceous WarblerLegendary · Coastal scrub (vagrant)
• Booted WarblerEpic · Coastal scrub (vagrant)
• Asian Brown FlycatcherLegendary · Coastal scrub (very rare)
• Brown FlycatcherLegendary · Coastal scrub (very rare vagrant)
• Eastern Crowned WarblerLegendary · Coastal scrub (very rare)

Sykes's Warbler: quick answers

Has a Sykes's Warbler ever been seen in the UK?

Yes, about 20 times. The first was on Fair Isle in 1959, and 2010 was the best year, with four birds including three in Shetland. Records since then include Foula, Tresco, Fair Isle, Porthgwarra and Blakeney Point.

Where can I see a Sykes's Warbler in the UK?

You cannot plan for one. The best odds come from being in Shetland or on Fair Isle in late August or September and reacting to news. Away from the Northern Isles, records are single birds at well-watched coastal sites.

What is the difference between Sykes's Warbler and Booted Warbler?

The two were treated as one species until the early 2000s and remain a hard pair. Sykes's is slightly larger and paler, with a longer bill and tail, shorter wings and a plainer face. Booted is the more frequent of the two in Britain, so a claim of Sykes's needs sharp photos or a bird in the hand.

Kit that helps

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