WILLOW WARBLER

PHYLLOSCOPUS TROCHILUS

Fig 1

DESCRIPTION: Wingspan up to 22cm. Adult length up to 11cm. A common leaf warbler that is greenish brown above and more yellowish below. This bird is often confused with the Chiffchaff but the Willow Warbler has paler pinkish legs, a longer wing projection and a more slender bill. Also this species has no eye ring and a longer supercilium. BEHAVIOUR: A bird that is happy to sit atop a tree and pour out its distinctive song that builds up briefly before dying away in a somewhat deflated manner. An insectivorous species that feeds hungrily on aphids as well as a host of other bugs. Later in the year they may be found feeding on fruits and berries. The Willow Warbler moults twice a year. NEST/EGGS: The dome-shaped nest is located low down in scrubby areas and is constructed from mosses, rotten wood and various grasses. The eggs are glossy white with reddish-brown speckles and are found in clutches up to 7. The young hatch after 14 days. DISTRIBUTION: Common throughout. HABITAT: Open wooded areas with trees such as Birch, Willow and Alder with thick scrub below. PERIOD: Summer visitor best seen from April to October. It winters in Africa.