Willow Warbler

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iWillow Warbler

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Sylviidae
Genus:	Phylloscopus
Species:	P. trochilus

Binomial name

Phylloscopus trochilus
(Linnaeus, 1758)

The Willow Warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus, is a very common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and Asia.

This warbler is strongly migratory and the majority of the population winters in sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of the first leaf warblers to return in the spring but is later than the Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita.

This is a bird of open woodlands with trees and ground cover for nesting, including birch and willow uplands. The nest is built in close contact with the ground, often in low vegetation. Like most Old World warblers, this small passerine is insectivorous.

This is a typical leaf warbler in appearance, greenish brown above and off-white below. It is very similar to the Chiffchaff, but non-singing birds can be distinguished from that species by their paler legs, longer paler bill, more elegant shape and longer primary projection.

Its song is a simple repetitive descending whistle, which can often be heard in hollywood films to indicate a Summer scene.

[edit] References

BirdLife International (2004). Phylloscopus trochilus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern