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Locally common breeding migrant, but abundant passage migrant in lower reaches of Ural river. Inhabits the bush thickets and coppice forests on edges and the undergrowth inside forests, prefer the wet but not marshy sites. On migration occurs in tree-bush vegetation, shelterbelts and rare in reed-beds. In spring appears in end of April - early May, most birds migrate in first half of May, latest migrants recorded in end of May - mid-June. Breeds in separate pairs at distance 100-150 m from each other. Nest is located in bush (raspberry, elder, bird cherry, buckthorn, black thorn, juniper, blackberry) or in tree (birch, oak, elm, lime, poplar, willow), lower than 3 m; nest is built from the dry grass stems and is lined with thin grass, rootlets and hair. Male begins to build the nest and constructs the platform to which he attracts the female, then both partners together continue and finish to build the nest for 3-6 days. Usually male constructs several platforms. Clutch of 3-6 eggs is laid in end of May to early July. Both parents incubate clutch for 10-13 days and feed juveniles which fledge at age 8-13 days old, in end of June - early July. Rears one brood per season, re-nesting after loss of first clutch is common. Autumn migration begins in end of July, most birds migrate in end of August - first half of September, latest birds recorded in early October. At Chokpak Pass singles ringed in September 5-23, 1967 and 1989, September 6, 2002, September 23, 2003.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.