Perching birds
Cetti's Warbler
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Cettia cetti
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Voice
Song
Call
Alarm
How to recognize it
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Body length 13–14 cm
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Chestnut-brown upperparts, pale grey-brown throat and breast
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Broad tail, rounded wings, pale stripe above the dark eye
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Usually hidden in dense shrubs by water; loud song in abrupt bursts
About the species
Its upperparts are rich chestnut to dark reddish-brown, fading to pale grey-brown across the throat and breast. A narrow pale grey stripe arches over each dark eye, and a long, broad tail extends beyond its short, rounded wings. Males and females look much alike, so the dark eyes and pale eyebrow are useful details to notice.
It stays tucked into dense growth, moving low through shrubs and sometimes hopping along the ground. Its song breaks out in sudden, loud bursts; during courtship, a male may twitch its wings and tail as it moves through its territory.
It occurs across southern and western Europe, northwest Africa and parts of western Asia, usually in thick scrub beside ponds, marshes or rivers. It feeds mainly on insects and larvae, also taking spiders, small snails, other invertebrates and occasional seeds.
Where to find
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By a pond or lake in summer, listen for Cetti's Warbler's loud, abrupt song bursts from thick, damp shrubs.
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Along reed-filled marsh or river edges, watch for low movements and hops on the ground as it searches for insects.
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In waterside blackberry or nettle thickets in summer, look for a male moving energetically through the bushes, flicking its wings and tail.
