Blyth's Reed Warbler

Blyth's Reed Warbler is very similar to the grasshopper warbler and should be compared to it. They both have the same size and shape, with a few minor differences. Blyth's Reed Warbler is more streamlined, with a stronger, slightly longer beak, a lower and longer forehead, and a less rounded crown. On the other hand, its tail is slightly longer, less rounded, and held straighter, even slightly raised at times. The male and female are identical. In fresh plumage, the upperparts of adults are very uniform, a cool brown or gray-brown, even in bright light. The front of the crown is a slightly warmer brown-brown. The nape and sides of the head and neck are shaded with gray. The rump and coverts are slightly lighter than the mantle. The flight feathers and rectrices are dark brown, bordered by medium brown, with no clear contrast. The white eyebrow, which is very clear in front of the eye, extends backward in a small white comma that quickly fades. The eyebrow is highlighted by the darkened edge of the crown and underlined by the dark, mottled loral streak. The eye is surrounded by a well-defined white ring, interrupted in front by the loral streak and in the back by a darker orbital streak that is more visible below the eye as it blends into the eyebrow above. The brown-gray ear coverts have whitish streaks that overflow onto the beige cheeks. The underparts are whitish but with a clear gray hue on the sides of the chest and flanks. The throat and under-tail coverts are white. The underside of the wings and axillaries are tinged with pale gray. The beak has a yellow lower jaw that darkens in the distal part. The legs are reddish or pinkish brown and appear dark from a distance.The fingers are more grey with dark nails. The iris is dark brown to light brown. In worn plumage, the color of the upper parts is even cooler. The eyebrow and eye ring are whiter. The undersides are whiter, with just a slight chamois-grey suffusion on the flanks. All the remiges and rectrices show obvious signs of wear.