Streaked scrub-warbler

Scotocerca inquieta

(Photo from Salidún)

Common name:
streaked scrub-warbler (en); fuinha-dos-espinheiros (pt); dromoïque vif-argent (fr); prinia desértica (es); wüstenprinie (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Cisticolidae

Range:
This species is found from northern Mauritania and Morocco, through Algeria, Lybia and Egypt, and into the Arabian Peninsula and near Asia as far east as Pakistan and Afghanistan and as far north as southern Kazakhstan.

Size:
These birds are 10 cm long and weigh 6-10 g.

Habitat:
The streaked scrub-warbler is found in arid scrublands and grasslands, sandy deserts with scattered low scrubs, sandy woodlands, dry savannas and rocky slopes. They are commonly found in oasis and other freshwater springs within arid areas. This species is present from sea level up to an altitude of 3.500 m.

Diet:
They feed on insects and other arthropods, namely beetles, caterpillars and larvae.

Breeding:
Streaked scrub-warblers breed in January-June. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a domed structure made of twigs, grasses and other plant material, lined with feather, hair and wool. The nest is typically placed within dense thorny scrubs. The female lays 2-5 white or pinkish-white eggs with small reddish markings, which are incubated for 13-15 days. The chicks fledge about 14 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be scarce to locally common. The population is estimated to be in decline following a recorded decrease in Israel in the 1980s, probably owing to habitat loss.