Leaf warblers · Perching birds
Wood Warbler
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Phylloscopus sibilatrix
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Voice
Song
Sonothèque ADVL
Song
Jochem verweij
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
How to recognize it
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11–13 cm, smaller than a sparrow
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Green above, white below
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Yellow throat and yellow eyebrow
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Soft call "piü"; song a fast metallic trill
About the species
The wood warbler moves high through mature woods and older parks, keeping to open, shady places with sparse ground cover. Its song is a bright, metallic trill that speeds up, followed by a short run of descending piping notes.
It stays close to the upper and middle layers of trees and uses low shrubs for nesting, with the nest hidden near the ground. The diet is mostly insects, and it also takes spiders, small snails, and some berries.
This species breeds across northern and temperate Europe and leaves for tropical Africa in winter. In many places it is present from spring into late summer, then it is gone for the rest of the year.
Where to find
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In old deciduous parks with a closed canopy — especially under beech and oak, the Wood Warbler is often betrayed by a thin, sewing-machine trill from high in the trees.
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Along quiet paths with sparse understory and open space under the branches, look for quick fluttering moves in the lower canopy.
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At the edge of large parks with dense shrubs, early mornings can bring the descending “piüü-piüü-piüü” from leafy cover.
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During migration, well-treed courtyards and garden squares may hold one briefly in the treetops, giving a soft “piü” call.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Phylloscopus sibilatrix Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Wood warbler Encyclopedia article