Willow Warbler

A spring warbler with a soft, descending song.

A recording has not been added yet. Use the identification notes below for now.

I know this bird · Record a sighting Where to look & how to find it ↓

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Season first

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go: Mainly spring to autumn
Where to start: Watch exposed perches on gorse and field-edge scrub from paths.
What to do when you arrive: In spring and summer, pause beside scrub for the descending song, then scan fine branches. Do not separate it from Chiffchaff by leg colour alone.

Habitat and behaviour reference: BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

SPECIES NOTESSpecies notes

How to identify it

Olive-brown above with a pale eyebrow and yellowish wash below; often pale-legged with longer primary projection than Chiffchaff. Colours overlap; clear structural evidence is needed.

Habitat

Gorse, scrub, hedges and rough grassland edges.

Behaviour

Feeds on insects in scrub and tree canopies and migrates to Africa.

When to look

Mainly spring to autumn

Where to look

Watch exposed perches on gorse and field-edge scrub from paths.

Reference photos do not show every sex, age, season or geographic form; use the identification notes too.

Further reading:BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · BTO · Chiffchaff / Willow Warbler ↗ · Wikipedia ↗

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