Birds · Passeriformes · Phylloscopidae

Willow Warbler

Phylloscopus trochilus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The willow warbler, a bird whose scientific name is Phylloscopus trochilus, is a passerine of the family Phylloscopidae that is very common and native to the temperate areas of Europe and Asia. Described by Linnaeus in 1758, it was at first placed in the genus Motacilla. It has an average wingspan of 19 cm, a length of 11 cm and a weight of about 10 g. Its conservation status is secure.

Weight

6 g – 12 g

Size

11 cm – 13 cm

Lifespan

10 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaTemperate forestTundraInsectivore Diurnal In pairs Bird Savanna Temperate forest Tundra

50countries 167parks3same family

Fun facts

GeneralIt weighs 9 grams and crosses the Sahara twice a year.
The populations that breed in the far east of Siberia travel more than twelve thousand kilometres to southern Africa twice a year, the longest migration of any bird weighing less than ten grams.
It moults twice a year, which is exceptional among the leaf warblers: it renews its entire plumage on the breeding grounds and again on the wintering grounds, an enormous energy cost for such a small bird.
Its song, a descending cascade of pure, wistful notes, is easily told from the monotonous chiff-chaff of the common chiffchaff, with which it shares its habitat across half of Europe.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Open birch and willow woodland, copses and scrub of Eurasia; winters in sub-Saharan Africa
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 13 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 6 eggs

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_warbler