Vocal mimicry in the song of the icterine warbler, Hippolais icterina (Sylviidae, Passeriformes)

Abstract

We recorded and analysed the songs often male icterine warblers (Hippolais icterina) in České Budějovice (Czech Republic) to identify mimicry. Imitations represented 76.2% of the total time of all songs and we detected 42 mimicked species. Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), blackbird (Turdus merula), common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) and fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) were the most common species imitated. Principal components analysis (PCA) detected individual variability in the species mimicked. The length of recording needed to detect 95% of species mimicked was assessed to be 8.2 minutes.