Page 336 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

WARBLERS AND ALLIES
Order Passeriformes Family Sylviidae Species Phylloscopus sibilatrix
Wood Warbler

long, wide yellow
stripe over eye
long wings bright, clear
green upperside
brownish wings
with pale yellowish
feather edges
long wingtips
(often drooped
beside tail) thick dark line
through eye
pale sulphur-yellow
IN FLIGHT chin and upper
breast
silky white
underside

FLIGHT: often flies direct, slightly hesitant, from
branch to branch under canopy.
ne of the larger Phylloscopus warblers, the Wood Warbler is also
Othe brightest, with areas of pure lemon yellow and clear green. It is
restricted to high woodland with open space beneath the trees and far less
generally distributed than the Willow Warbler or the Chiffchaff. It is also curiously
rare away from its nesting woods, not usually seen near the coast during migration.
It is best located by its characteristic ECSTATIC SONG
song in early summer, becoming The fast, metallic trill seems to
elusive later. take over the whole body of a
VOICE Call sweet, loud sweet;two singing Wood Warbler as it
song types: less frequent plaintive, low, vibrates to its own song.
sweet sioo sioo sioo, more often quick,
sharp, ticking accelerating into fast,
silvery, vibrant trill, ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-tik-ik-ik-
ikirrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
NESTING Domed grassy nest in dead
leaves on ground; 6 or 7 eggs; 1 brood;
May–June.
FEEDING Moves through foliage
easily, gently, and unobtrusively, picking
insects and spiders.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Local summer visitor breeding
WILLOW WARBLER smaller and plainer head in UK, France, and east across
see p.333 duller
Europe except N Scandinavia.
duller In old woods with open space
above
beneath canopy and leaf litter
short greyer on ground, from April to August.
less wings Rare outside breeding areas.
yellow
below CHIFFCHAFF BONELLI’S WARBLER Seen in the UK
see p.336 see p.335 J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 13cm (5in) Wingspan 19–24cm (7 1 ⁄2 –9 1 ⁄2in) Weight 7–12g ( 1 ⁄4 – 7 ⁄16oz)
Social Solitary Lifespan Up to 5 years Status Secure†
334