Phylloscopus trochilus (Willow Warbler)

Scientific name: Phylloscopus trochilus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Bird group: Warblers

Field characters. 11 cm. Resembles Chiffchaff. Like that species without prominent field marks. Upperparts brown-green or olive, face and breast yellowish, underparts whiter. Supercilium indistinct, yellow, bordered by indistinct dark eye-stripe. Primaries project further beyond tertials than in Chiffchaff, legs are usually paler, supercilium is slightly more prominent, and crown is flatter, all this giving impression of less round, more slender bird. More active than Chiffchaff. Juvenile often separable in field in having more uniform green-and-yellow plumage, especially on underparts, although some adults might look equally yellow.

Voice. Call 'huwiet' more bisyllabic than similar call of Chiffchaff. Song mellow and fluent series of descending notes.

Distribution. Very common summer visitor.

Habitat. Variety of well vegetated areas with deciduous low trees and bushes. Requires plenty of cover, but avoids uniform woodland.

Food. Mainly insects, often caught in short pursuit or in sallies from perch.

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