Common Whitethroat

A summer songster often appearing on the top of a bush.

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, scan exposed scrub perches for singing birds making brief flights. Check the white throat and rusty wing edges without entering scrub.

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

White throat, rusty-edged wing feathers and a fairly long tail; males have a grey head, females a brown one. Warmer wings than Lesser Whitethroat; a white throat alone is insufficient.

Habitat

Gorse, scrub, hedges and rough grassland edges.

Behaviour

Feeds on insects in brambles and scrub, adding berries in autumn.

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 ↗ · Wikipedia ↗

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