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Dartford Warbler


Dartford Warbler
Photo Information
Copyright: Emin Yogurtcuoglu (goldfinchtr) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 176 W: 22 N: 366] (1432)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-04-18
Categories: Birds
Exposure: f/6.3, 1/500 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-04-27 13:13
Viewed: 492
Points: 20
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Dartford Warbler, Sylvia undata, is an typical warbler which breeds in the warmer parts of south west Europe and northwest Africa. Its breeding range lies west of a line from southern England to the heel of Italy. It is a mainly resident breeder, but there is some limited migration.

Like many typical warblers, this species has distinct male and female plumages. The male of this small Sylvia has a grey back and head, reddish underparts, and a red eye. The reddish throat is spotted with white. The female is paler below, especially on the throat, and a browner grey below. The song is a distinctive rattling warble.

It probably forms a superspecies with Tristram's Warbler and this in turn seems close to Marmora's Warbler and the Balearic Warbler (Helbig 2001, Jĝnsson & Fjeldsċ 2006). Altogether, this group of typical warblers bears an uncanny resemblance to the Wrentit, the only species of Sylviidae from the Americas (compare Wrentit with Dartford Warbler photo linked below). Still, the Wrentit is less closely related to the genus Sylvia than to the parrotbills (Cibois 2003, Pasquet 2006). Its visual similarity to the Dartford Warbler group is an astounding example of convergent evolution between birds closely related enough to already share many similarities evolving half a world apart in similar Mediterranean shrub habitat.

This small, 13 cm, passerine bird breeds in heathlands often near coasts, with gorse bushes for nesting. Like its relatives, the Dartford Warbler is insectivorous, but will also take berries. The nest is built in low shrub, and 3-6 eggs are laid.

Dartford Warblers were named for Dartford Heath in NW Kent, where the population became extinct in the early 20th century. They almost died out in the UK in the severe winter of 1962-3 when the national population dropped to just 10 pairs. They recovered in some areas but numbers are once again on the decline. However this species can recover well because of repeated nesting and a high survival rate for the young.
valy67, writerscrawlz, inked, angela926, rousettus, uleko has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • valy67 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1318 W: 52 N: 1782] (5276)
  • [2008-04-27 13:33]

Hello Emin !
Excelent picture ! First of all, the bird is very beautiful, and you have captured him with great skill and talent. Sharpness, details, colors, composition and BG are excellent, could not be better, and the pose of the bird is wonderful too, he looks gorgeous, sitting like that on his branch. Very well done !
Valérie.

This is awesome! I don't see many of these and I love how you managed to capture the colors, making this photo burst with life. The details of the face show that you have excellent exposure. The top of his head reminds me of a bad hair day, though.

  • Great 
  • inked Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 125 W: 0 N: 214] (634)
  • [2008-04-27 17:14]

Hi Emin,
fantastic shot of this bird i havent seen before. superb focus and sharpness. great POV and depth. great color and detail. Beautifully composed. great work. tfs
Gethin

Hello Emin,
Great capture, beautiful colors, good light
and lovely pose, excellent composition and point
of view, fantastic sharpness, excellent depth of field,
superb details in the plummage and great background,very
good clarity and fantastic catch light.
Angela

great portrait, TFS Ori

Great eye contact. DOF and POV are great. Nice front cover as well, nicely done.
TFS
Best regards,
Kean

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1875 W: 2 N: 5064] (19360)
  • [2008-04-28 11:39]

Hi Emin. I have yet to see a Dartford Warbler but we do have them in the summer in a small area near to where i live so i hope to see them this year. You have captured a beautiful shot of the bird showing it of to its best. good detail and colours. very well done TFS.
Nick..

Bel soggetto ed ottima ripresa! Ottima ed equilibrata la composizione.

Ciao e grazie, Emanuele

harika bir çekim olmuş Emin bey, tebrikler. türü diğer ötleğenler gibi pek bir güzel, pek bir alımlı.
elinize sağlık.

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2342 W: 164 N: 7019] (22222)
  • [2008-08-04 3:50]

Hello Emin,
Brilliant capture of this lovely little Warbler in a fine pose. Great focus and details and beautiful natural colours. A nice background too and very well composed.
TFS and regards, Ulla

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