Leaf warblers · Perching birds
Greenish Warbler
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Phylloscopus trochiloides
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Voice
Song
Jochem Verweij
Song
Jochem Verweij
Song
Jochem Verweij
How to recognize it
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10 cm, a bit smaller and stockier than Wood Warbler
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Olive-green back, greyish-white underparts
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Dark eye stripe, long yellow supercilium almost to the nape
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Call "tsee-vit", song high and sharp
About the species
The Greenish Warbler keeps to the treetops and moves quickly through leaves and branches. It gives a sharp, two-part call, and its song is a high, brief trill with a short pause in the middle.
It stays hidden much of the time, usually alone or in pairs. In breeding areas, it places its nest close to the ground in a shrub, and in some city parks it uses gaps in old masonry or other sheltered spots.
Look for it in deciduous, mixed, or conifer woods, as well as parks and gardens with trees. It feeds on small insects, spiders, and mollusks, and it leaves many northern areas in late summer to spend the winter in India.
Where to find
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In mature city parks with old deciduous or mixed trees, high in the canopy — listen for a thin, jerky, almost metallic song.
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Along canal banks, pond edges, and weedy water margins — it moves quickly through the upper leaves and may give a two-part call.
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Around old stone walls, cracks in masonry, and sheltered niches in historic buildings near parks — usually hidden, but the short clipped song can carry from nearby.
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In tree-lined avenues and small groves — look up, since it stays close to the treetops and rarely drops lower.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Phylloscopus trochiloides Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Greenish warbler Encyclopedia article