Dutch Birding volume 24 (2002) no 5

Marmora's Warbler at Knokke-Heist, Belgium, in May 1997

On 3-12 May 1997, a Marmora's Warbler Sylvia sarda stayed at Duinbergen, Knokke-Heist, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium; it was photographed and videoed. This individual constituted the northernmost record of the exceptional 1997 influx which included nine individuals on mainland France and the first record for mainland Spain. The bird was present at the same location as a male Eastern Subalpine Warbler S cantillans albistriata during the same period. It was accepted by the Belgian rarities committee (BAHC). Dartford Warbler S undata and Balearic Warbler S balearica were excluded on basis of the underpart coloration (grey, excluding Dartford), slightly shorter tail than in Dartford, and call (European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola-like trruk trruk, excluding both Dartford and Balearic). A full description of the bird is given and its occurrence as a vagrant is discussed. The bird was a male based on the relatively dark mask and generally purely grey colour. It was a second-calendar-year because of the relatively fresh dark alula, the contrast between greater coverts and tertials with the brown rest of the wing, and particularly the paler brown and more worn overall appearance of the juvenile unmoulted rectrices.

This observation constitutes the 34th European record of a vagrant Marmora's Warbler outside the known breeding range (Corsica, Sardinia and Pantelleria and several smaller islands in the western Mediterranean) and wintering range (northern Algeria, Tunisia and north-western Libya); the species is partly resident but some winter in northern Africa. This total does not include records in mainland Italy, where the species is an irregular migrant in Alpi Marittime, Liguria and Piemonte. Other vagrant records have been in Britain (five), mainland France (18), Italy (exact number unknown), Malta (nine records involving 13 individuals) and north-western Egypt (one). Balearic Warbler, formerly considered a subspecies of Marmora's Warbler, breeds on the Balearic Islands (except Menorca) and is considered resident; there are no confirmed extralimital records of this taxon although some of the individuals reported on the Spanish east coast may be balearica. Older breeding reports of 'Marmora's Warblers' in mainland Spain have not been substantiated and are no longer considered acceptable.

Vincent Legrand, Avenue Bois de la Cambre 28, 1170 Watermael-Boitsfort, België

Gunter De Smet, Edmond Blockstraat 11, 9050 Gentbrugge, België
gunter.de.smetpandora.be