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This is a bird of open but shady mature woodlands, such as beech, with some sparse ground cover for nesting.

British Birds - Warblers

Warblers are small, lively birds that can be easier to hear than see. Explore their songs, habitats and migration, and learn simple ID clues for Britain.

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Fascinating Fact:

Common whitethroats favour scrub and hedgerows, and they are often seen making short fluttering display flights in spring.

In Specialist Nature, warblers are a perfect group for practising “ID by sound and habitat”. Many are small and quick, so a good approach is to listen first, then watch for movement in reeds, bushes, woodland edges, or high canopy. Clues like a pale eyebrow line, wing bar, tail movement, and the way a bird feeds can all help, and learning a few common songs makes spotting them much easier.

Key Terms

Supercilium: A pale stripe above the eye, often called an “eyebrow”, which can help identify similar-looking birds.
Moult: When a bird replaces old feathers with new ones, sometimes changing its appearance between seasons.
Migrant: An animal that travels between places at different times of year, often to breed and find food.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

How do you identify warblers in the UK?

In the UK, warblers are often identified by their song, habitat, and a few small features. Listening for a distinctive call, then checking for clues like an eyebrow stripe, wing bars, tail flicking, and feeding behaviour can help narrow down the species.

What is the difference between a chiffchaff and a willow warbler?

Chiffchaffs usually have darker legs and a repetitive “chiff-chaff” style song, while willow warblers often look a bit brighter with paler legs and have a more flowing, musical song. They can look similar, so sound and leg colour are helpful starting points.

When do warblers arrive in the UK?

Many warblers are spring and summer visitors, arriving mainly from March to May and leaving in late summer or autumn. Timing varies by species and weather, so the first arrivals are often earlier in the south than in the north.

Try These Related Quizzes

To see a larger image, click on the picture.

1 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Stefan Hage

Dartford Warbler

Blackcap

Grasshopper Warbler

Marsh Warbler

Group: Old World Warblers
Binomial: Locustella naevia
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
It creeps through grass and low foliage.
A skulking species which is very difficult to see.
The song is a monotonous mechanical insect-like reeling, often given at dusk.
It winters from Africa to India.

2 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of http://photo-natur.de/

Marsh Warbler

Garden Warbler

Cetti's Warbler

Willow Warbler

Group: Old World Warblers
Binomial: Phylloscopus trochilus
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
Very common and widespread.
Its song is a simple repetitive descending whistle, while the contact call is a disyllabic 'hoo-eet'.
It is greenish brown above and off-white to yellowish below.

3 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Jakub Stanco

Blackcap

Cetti's Warbler

Wood Warbler

Eurasian Reed Warbler

Group: Old World Warblers
Binomial: Sylvia atricapilla
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species & Summer Visitor
The alarm call, 'tacc', sounds like two pebbles striking one another.
Its song is a rich and varied warble, starting with a chattering and finishing with a flourish of flute-like notes.

4 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Martien Brand

Cetti's Warbler

Eurasian Reed Warbler

Wood Warbler

Blackcap

Group: Old World Warblers
Binomial: Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
In the summer, can be looked for in reedbeds in lowland central and southern England and Wales.
Sings from within the reedbed rather than from a perch, so often heard rather than seen.

5 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Mark S Jobling

Eurasian Reed Warbler

Wood Warbler

Cetti's Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Group: Old World Warblers
Binomial: Cettia cetti
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
It is one of the UK's most recent colonists, first breeding here in 1973.
Likes damp areas close to wetlands.
A skulking bird and can prove very difficult to see.
Named after an Italian zoologist.

6 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of http://www.marekszczepanek.pl/

Eurasian Reed Warbler

Wood Warbler

Marsh Warbler

Dartford Warbler

Group: Old World Warblers
Binomial: Acrocephalus palustris
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
It is notable for incorporating striking imitations of a wide variety of other birds into its song.
The UK population of this warbler has fallen and is now of serious conservation concern.

7 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of J Dietrich

Dartford Warbler

Blackcap

Garden Warbler

Marsh Warbler

Group: Old World Warblers
Binomial: Sylvia undata
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
This long-tailed warbler has suffered in the past from severe winters.
Its population crashed to a few pairs in the 1960s, since when it has gradually recovered, increasing in both numbers and range.

8 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Gabriel Buissart

Blackcap

Sedge Warbler

Willow Warbler

Dartford Warbler

Group: Old World Warblers
Binomial: Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
It is a summer visitor, and winters in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert.
The song is varied, rushed and chattering, with sweeter phrases and some mimicry.
This warbler is mostly insectivorous.

9 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Billyboy

Cetti's Warbler

Blackcap

Garden Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Group: Old World Warblers
Binomial: Sylvia borin
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
A very plain bird with no distinguishing features (a feature in itself!).
Especially likes coppiced woodland. Sometimes seen in farmland hedgerows.
Its song is a pleasant chattering with many clearer notes like a blackbird.

10 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Steve Garvie

Wood Warbler

Cetti's Warbler

Blackcap

Eurasian Reed Warbler

Group: Old World Warblers
Binomial: Phylloscopus sibilatrix
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
This warbler is strongly migratory and the entire population winters in tropical Africa.
This is a bird of open but shady mature woodlands, such as beech, with some sparse ground cover for nesting.