Leaf warblers · Perching birds
Willow Warbler
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Phylloscopus trochilus
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Voice
Song
Noé Ferrari
Song
Noé Ferrari
Song
Noé Ferrari
How to recognize it
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Smaller than a sparrow, slim leaf-warbler shape
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Upperparts greenish-olive, underparts pale with yellow wash
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Long pale eyebrow, dark line through the eye
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Pale legs, no wingbars; call a high thin whistle
About the species
The Willow Warbler is a small, restless canopy songster best noticed by its light, quick movements rather than by a bold appearance. It slips through leaves and branches with an easy, delicate way of moving that makes it hard to keep in view.
Males sing from the trees and mix singing with foraging. Its voice is thin and clear, with a short, descending whistle that sounds soft and simple once you get used to it.
It favors open, not-too-dense woods, parks, gardens, and other damp places with low cover. It feeds mainly on insects and their larvae, but also takes spiders, snails, berries, and fruit, and almost the whole population moves to sub-Saharan Africa for winter.
Where to find
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In young open woods and mature parks with birch, willow, or alder — listen for a clear descending whistle from the upper canopy.
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Along woodland edges, clearings, and weedy thickets — it often forages in quick hopping bouts close to the ground.
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At damp canal banks, pond edges, and small streamside willows — watch for short flights between low branches and reed clumps in spring.
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In overgrown gardens and courtyards with dense shrubs — moves through leaf cover, while the thin contact call can carry above street noise.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Phylloscopus trochilus Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Willow warbler Encyclopedia article