Birds · Passeriformes · Cettiidae

Cetti's Warbler

Cettia cetti

Least Concern

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

A small, plump bird with short, rounded wings, a reddish-brown back and whitish underparts, with a pale eyebrow over the eye. It is shy to the point of exasperation within the riverside tangle, but its explosive song gives it away instantly.

Weight

12 g – 18 g

Size

13 cm – 14 cm

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Estimated population

Between 5 and 20 million individuals across its range according to BirdLife International (2009). In Spain it was estimated at between 410,000 and 2,000,000 pairs

Insectivore Diurnal Bird

47countries 48parks

Fun facts

GeneralIt is heard far more than seen: it sings in explosive bursts from deep cover.
Its eggs are an intense brick red, a colour that is very unusual among European birds.
The nest is built by the male, but the female incubates and raises the chicks practically alone.
Prolonged cold spells can wipe out whole populations: that is what happened in the Basque Country after the one in January 1985.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Reedbeds, damp bramble thickets and river banks
Birth weight: The eggs weigh about 1.8 g
Gestation / incubation: 16 days, by the female alone. The chicks fledge at 14-16 days and are independent at 30
Litter / clutch size: 2-5 eggs of a distinctive brick-red colour, with up to two clutches a year between March and July

Sources consulted: SEO/BirdLife (ficha y III Atlas de las aves en época de reproducción en España); IUCN Red List; Asturnatura; Moreno-Opo 2022, III Atlas; MITECO; Villarán 2000, Butlletí del Grup Català d'Anellament 17; Araújo et al. 2016