Scrub Warbler

The streaked scrub warbler is a small, skulking desert warbler which cocks its tail over its back. The adults are grey brown above, finely streaked with dark brown. They have a broad pale supercilium and a thin black eyestripe. The underparts are whitish with reddish flanks and vent, the breast is finely streaked. The tail is graduated and dark brown with a white tip. Juveniles are duller. Short, fine but stout bill is mostly grey-brown with slightly paler base to lower mandible. Can appear to have almost mouse-like behaviour, keeping in cover and moving quickly and nervously. Jumps and hops rapidly on ground, and habitually feeds around tiny shrubs and stones (occasionally skulking). Flight on whirring wings is rather weak but quite direct, usually very low and over short distances. Usually encountered in very vocal groups of pairs or family parties. The song of the streaked scrub warbler is distinctive and is rendered as "zit-zit dweedle-doolredle-doleed"

The streaked scrub warbler is a bird of open desert with a sparse cover of scrub, especially wadi beds with a denser cover than the surrounding desert, as well as scree areas with bushes in ravines and gorges.

Its main food is insects but it will also eat seeds which may be very important in winter. It forages on the ground, fossicking through leaf litter and other debris under bushes, and into cavities but will also feed up in the vegetation at times.