Cettidae – Bush Warblers, Tesias & Allies

Asian Stubtail Urosphena squameiceps ©Craig Brelsford Website

Cettiidae are a family of passerines named as a tribute to the Italian scientist and mathematician Francesco Cetti. They are small, stocky birds that resemble other warblers such as the willow warbler. Most are also fairly unremarkable coloured, often with a clear eyebrow stripe, although there are some more exuberantly coloured species

The Cettidae is a family of 32 species recently separated on DNA analysis from the Super Family of Old World Warblers. They are:

Yellow-bellied Warbler Abroscopus superciliaris
Rufous-faced Warbler Abroscopus albogularis
Black-faced Warbler Abroscopus schisticeps

Mountain Tailorbird Phyllergates cuculatus
Rufous-headed Tailorbird Phyllergates heterolaemus

Broad-billed Warbler Tickellia hodgsoni

Philippine Bush Warbler Horornis seebohmi
Japanese Bush Warbler Horornis diphone
Manchurian Bush Warbler Horornis borealis
Palau Bush Warbler Horornis annae
Tanimbar Bush Warbler Horornis carolinae
Shade Bush Warbler Horornis parens
Bougainville Bush Warbler Horornis haddeni
Fiji Bush Warbler Horornis ruficapilla
Brown-flanked Bush Warbler Horornis fortipes
Hume’s Bush Warbler Horornis brunnescens
Yellow-bellied Bush Warbler Horornis acanthizoides
Sunda Bush Warbler Horornis vulcanius
Aberrant Bush Warbler Horornis flavolivaceus <

Grey-bellied Tesia Tesia cyaniventer
Slaty-bellied Tesia Tesia olivea
Russet-capped Tesia Tesia everetti
Javan Tesia Tesia superciliaris

Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti
Chestnut-crowned Bush Warbler Cettia major
Grey-sided Bush Warbler Cettia brunnifrons
Chestnut-headed Tesia Cettia castaneocoronata

Asian Stubtail Urosphena squameiceps
Bornean Stubtail Urosphena whiteheadi
Timor Stubtail Urosphena subulata
Pale-footed Bush Warbler Urosphena pallidipes
Neumann’s Warbler Urosphena neumanni

Species Links
  • Asian Stubtail Urosphena squameiceps

    Webpage
    ’Tis the season of the stubtail in Shanghai. Every year in April and May, and again in September and October, birders in Earth’s Greatest City record Asian Stubtail Urosphena squameiceps. Migrant stubtails are no strangers to the inner city; the photo above, for example, was taken at Changfeng Park, deep in Shanghai’s urban jungle.
  • Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti

    Species Account
    Cetti's warbler, Cettia cetti, is an Old World warbler. It is a small, brown bush-warbler which breeds in southern and central Europe, north-west Africa and east southern temperate Asia as far as Afghanistan and north-west Pakistan. The bird is named after the 18th century Italian zoologist, Francesco Cetti. This species is very difficult to see because of its skulking habits.
  • Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti

    Species Account
    Sound archive and distribution map
  • Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti

    RSPB Species Account
    A small, rather nondescript bird, Cetti's warbler (pronounced chetty) is a skulking bird and can prove very difficult to see. It usually makes its presence known with loud bursts of song and the first glimpse will probably be of a dark, rather stocky warbler with short wings and a full, rounded tail, diving for cover. It is one of the UK's most recent colonists, first breeding here in 1973.
Number of Species
  • Number of bird species: 32

Photographers & Artists
  • Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti - Martin Basson Wildlife Photography

    Image

Fatbirder - linking birders worldwide... Wildlife Travellers see our sister site: WAND

Skip to content