Sylviid warblers · Perching birds
Garden Warbler
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Sylvia borin
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Voice
Song
Kalle Nibbenhagen
Song
Noé Ferrari
Song
Noé Ferrari
How to recognize it
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13–14.5 cm, slightly larger than a sparrow
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Plain olive-brown upperparts, dull white underparts
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Long wings and long tail, slim warbler shape
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Call sharp "kek-kek"; song rich, smooth and melodic
About the species
The Garden Warbler has a very plain look, with soft brown tones and a calm, streamlined shape. In practice, it is often easier to notice by its voice and movements than by any striking feature.
It likes to sing from dense cover, and the song is rich and musical. When alarmed, it gives a sharp repeated call, and while feeding it picks insects and other small prey from leaves and twigs, sometimes hovering briefly to reach them.
It breeds in open woods with thick low growth, along edges, in bushy riverbanks, and in young thickets. In summer it mostly eats insects and other small invertebrates, then shifts toward berries before migration; it winters in tropical and southern Africa.
Where to find
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In older city parks with thick shrubs and young trees, the garden warbler is most often noticed by its rich song from the lower canopy.
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Along riverbanks and canal edges — especially in willow, alder, or tall nettles, where a male sings from just above the ground.
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At woodland edges and broad clearings with dense undergrowth, look for short hops between bushes and quick flickers in the greenery.
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In late summer near berry bushes on the park fringe, it may pause to pick soft fruit like elderberry or raspberry, staying low in the shrubs.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Sylvia borin Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Garden warbler Encyclopedia article