A small brownish-grey warbler with a greyer head and a bold dark mask that highlights the white throat. Unlike Greater Whitethroat, it lacks any bright rusty patch in the wings. It shows slight variation across its broad range. Typically found in scrub and dense hedgerows with thorny bushes and small trees, it keeps low and is often hard to view clearly. It is usually detected by its scratchy, chattering song that finishes with a noticeable rattling note, along with dry, ticking calls.

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