Cetti’s Warbler
Cettia cetti
14cm long. Small and skulking unstreaked warbler. Upper-parts uniform brown, shading to buff on the breast sides and flanks, and to white on the belly. Tail brown and relatively long. Song a very loud and explosive burst of fruity metallic notes; call a sharp ‘teck’. On the Continent resident mainly in south and south-west, favouring dense vegetation beside water. Colonized Britain in the 1970s and increasing.
Common Whitethroat
Sylvia communis
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
14cm. Male has a grey head, a bright white throat, brown upperparts and pale underparts. Female has a brown head. Tail long and slim.
VOICE
Call a sharp ‘tacc, tacc’. Song a rapid warble.
HABITAT
Open woodland, gardens, hedgerows and scrub. Summer visitor to Britain.
FOOD AND HABITS
Eats mainly insects, and some fruits and berries in autumn. Nests in brambles and low bushes not far from the ground.
Lesser Whitethroat
Sylvia curruca
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
13 cm. Easy to distinguish from Common Whitethroat by duller brown back and wings, lacking any rufous colouration, bright white underparts and dark grey legs.
VOICE
Call an abrupt ‘tack’. Song a simple brief warble ending with a repetitive single-note rattle.
HABITAT
Farmland with trees and hedges, woodland edges, parks, large gardens and scrub. Summer visitor to Britain.
FOOD AND HABITS
Insectivorous, but also takes berries and other soft fruits. Grass cup nest is built in a low shrub or brambles.
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapilla
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
14cm. Male has a black cap; female’s is red-brown. Cheeks are grey; upperparts dark grey-brown.
VOICE
Warning call a harsh ‘teck’ and ‘tack’ack’ack’. Sweet rich warbling song.
HABITAT
Open woodland, shrubby areas with trees, and gardens. Mostly summer visitor to Britain; increasing numbers seen in winter.
FOOD AND HABITS
Chiefly eats insects, and berries and fruits in late summer and autumn. Occasional visitor to bird tables. Nest a neat grass cup concealed low in bush.
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borin
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
14cm. Inconspicuous little grey-brown warbler. Plumage uniform without any notable distinguishing feature. Round head, short bill.
VOICE
Song most distinctive characteristic, a musical warble uttered from depths of cover.
HABITAT
Deciduous and mixed woodland with dense undergrowth. Summer visitor to Britain.
FOOD AND HABITS
Eats mostly insects in early summer; also berries and other fruits before autumn migration. Nests in brambles and bushes.
Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleuca
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
13cm. Breeding male has bold black-and-white plumage. Shorter tailed and more compact than Spotted Flycatcher, with a white wingbar. Constantly flicks its wings and tail.
VOICE
Calls include a metallic ‘whit’. Song quite shrill, ‘zee-it, zee-it’, interspersed with trills.
HABITAT
Deciduous and sometimes coniferous forest. Summer visitor to Britain.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds on insects caught on the wing, and sometimes on the ground. Seldom hunts from the same perch twice. Breeds in hollows and may use nestboxes.
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striata
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
14cm. Back greyish-brown with pale underparts; close examination reveals a streaked forehead and faintly streaked upper breast. Bill and legs black, and black eye an obvious feature. Upright posture when perched.
VOICE
Call a short shrill ‘tzee’. Song quiet, simple and scratchy, often with soft trills.
HABITAT
Open woodland and gardens throughout Europe in summer. Winters in Africa.
FOOD AND HABITS
Flies up from perch to snatch flying insects, then returns to the same spot. Breeds in hollows or dense vegetation.
Stonechat
Saxicola torquata
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
12cm. Male has a black head, white patch on sides of neck, white wingpatch and dark brown upperparts. Female duller with streaked brown upperparts.
VOICE
Call a persistent ‘tsak, tsak’, like two stones being hit together; plaintive song.
HABITAT
Coastal heaths, especially with gorse, rough hillside grazing and upland moors. Present all year in Britain, and locally common.
FOOD AND HABITS
Diet is chiefly insects; also worms and spiders. Nests on the ground, often under the cover of a gorse bush.
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetra
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
13cm. Summer adult male speckled brown and fawn above, with a bold white eyestripe separating the crown from the dark cheek patch. Underparts pale orange. Female and juvenile paler and duller.
VOICE
Call ‘yu teck-teck’. Chirping song, often produced in song flight.
HABITAT
Breeds in wet meadows, pastures and heaths across most of Europe. Winters in Africa.
FOOD AND HABITS
Perches on raised spots such as telephone wires, from which it makes sallies to catch flying insects. Nest a grassy cup well concealed in a bush.
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenanthe
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
15cm. Breeding male has a blue-grey back and black eye-mask, wings and lower tail; distinctive square white rump and upper tail visible in flight. Winter male is browner.
VOICE
Call ‘chack, chack’.
HABITAT
Chiefly upland hills, pastures and cliffs; some lowland areas. Summer visitor to much of Europe; early spring migrant from March onwards. Winters in Africa.
FOOD AND HABITS
Eats mostly insects. Nests on the ground in rabbit burrows, holes under stones and stone walls.
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
16cm long. Both male and female have russet-brown plumage with a rufous tail. Skulking and secretive.
VOICE
Melodious and loud song uttered by day as well as late in the evening and early in the morning.
HABITAT
Lowland deciduous woodland, especially with coppice or dense bushy undergrowth. Summer visitor to Europe except north. Breeds locally in southern England. Winters in Africa.
FOOD AND HABITS
Eats mostly insects and worms; also fruits and berries. Breeds in forests and thickets with dense undergrowth.
SIMILAR SPECIES
Bluethroat (L. svecica) 13cm long. Breeding male’s throat is blue, divided from the whitish belly by black and rufous breast bands. Female has a cream throat bordered by black, sometimes with a scattering of blue or rufous. Song is silvery with mimicry, frequently delivered at night; call a harsh ‘track’. In Britain a very scarce passage migrant mainly on east coast in May or September.
Robin
Erithacus rubecula
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
13cm. Familiar bird with an orange-red breast fringed with pale grey, and a pale wingbar. Juvenile has a pale-spotted brown breast, and a pale-flecked head and back.
VOICE
Call a repeated short hard ‘tic’; alarm call a thin sharp ‘tsiih’. Song sweet and silvery, starting high, then falling, then speeding up in clear notes.
HABITAT
Woodland bird that breeds in gardens, parks and forest edges. In winter, north European Robins migrate south-west to southern Europe. Other populations are resident.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds on berries and insects on the ground. Moves over the ground by hopping vigorously. Nest a grassy cup well hidden on or near the ground; may be in a cavity.
Black Redstart
Pheonicurus ochruros
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
14cm. Darker than Common Redstart. Breeding male slaty-black above with a black face and breast, and a white flash in the wing. Female duller brown. Reddish rump and tail.
VOICE
Call a quiet ‘tsip-tsip’. Song a short high-pitched warble punctuated by characteristic gravelly notes.
HABITAT
Towns, urban sites and cliffs. Summer visitor to northern Europe. Rare breeder in south-east England.
FOOD AND HABITS
Eats mainly insects. Constantly shivers tail. Often nests in wall cavities.
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurus
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
14cm. Male has a grey back, black face and throat, white forehead, and bright chestnut breast and tail. Female is a duller brown. Tail is waved up and down.
VOICE
Calls ‘hooeet’ and ‘kwee-tucc-tucc’. Song a squeaky warble.
HABITAT
Usually deciduous upland woodland with mature trees for nesting. Occurs in much of Europe in summer. Winters in Africa.
FOOD AND HABITS
Eats mainly insects; also worms, spiders and berries. Nests in a tree hollow.
Bearded Tit
Panurus biarmicus
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
15cm. Tit-like with a plump body and very long and broad tail. Both sexes have rich orange-brown plumage, and male also has a grey head and black moustaches.
VOICE
Call like tiny bells, a ringing ‘ching ching’. Song a softly chirping ‘tship tship tshir’.
HABITAT
Favours reed beds. In Britain quite common in south-east England.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds on insects, and reed seeds in winter. Shuffles up and down reed stems. Builds an open nest of stems in reed beds.
Long- tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatus
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
14cm, including tail that is at least as long as its dumpy body. With its pink, black and white body and long tail, this species is unmistakable. West European race (A. c. rosaceus) has dark crown stripes, but A.c. caudatus of north-east Europe has a pure white head.
VOICE
Call a piercing ‘tsee-tsee-tsee’. Song similar to Blue Tit’s.
HABITAT
Woods with bushy undergrowth, hedges and gardens throughout most of Europe.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds mainly on insects and small spiders, and is increasingly visiting bird tables. Families form into flocks and move through woods and hedges, often with other tits. Nest ball-shaped and camouflaged with lichens, built in a branch fork.
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleus
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
12cm. Smaller than Great Tit and with a bright blue crown. Stripe down yellow breast less well-defined than Great Tit’s. Tail and wings blue. Young birds have yellow cheeks, and blue parts are green.
VOICE
Call a thin ‘see-see’. Clear, ringing and high-pitched song.
HABITAT
Mixed and deciduous woodland, parks and gardens. Found across Europe except Iceland and northern Norway.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds on insects, spiders and other small animals, finding them on tree branches and sometimes in the corners of windows. Frequently visits bird tables in winter. Feeds in flocks of up to 30 in winter, often with other tit species. Nests in holes in trees, buildings or banks.
Great Tit
Parus major
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
14cm. A black cap and black stripe starting at the bill give this bird a more ferocious expression than a Blue Tit’s. Male’s breast-stripe becomes broader than female’s.
VOICE
Rich and varied repertoire includes a metallic ‘pink’ and a repeated ‘teacher-teacher’.
HABITAT
Woodlands and gardens across Europe except far north. Many feeding in gardens in winter return to woods to feed in spring.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds on seeds and fruits; also spiders and insect larvae in breeding season. Eats sunflower seeds, peanuts and fat at bird tables. Nest as Blue Tit’s.
Coal Tit
Periparus ater
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
11cm. Smaller than Great Tit with a proportionately larger head. Black head with white cheeks, and a white patch on the nape. Back grey and breast grey-brown. Irish race (P. a. hibernicus) with pale yellow on cheeks, nape and underparts.
VOICE
Most frequent call a triple ‘tsee-tsee-tsee’. Song like a simpler and weaker Great Tit’s song.
Woodland and gardens across Europe except far north. Prefers coniferous trees.
FOOD AND HABITS
Eats insects and seeds, particularly spruce cones in north. Nest as Blue Tit’s.
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustris
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
12cm. Very similar to Willow Tit, with a large-headed and short-tailed appearance, but with a shiny black cap, smaller black bib and uniform wings.
VOICE
Best distinguishing feature is call, ‘pitchiuu’. Song a liquid bubbling sound.
HABITAT
Mainly deciduous woodland, sometimes gardens, across much of central and western Europe.
FOOD AND HABITS
Diet mainly insects, with seeds and berries, and beechmast, like other tits. Nests in tree holes, especially in alders and willows.
Willow Tit
Poecile montanus
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
12cm. Plumage similar to Marsh Tit’s, but Willow has a heavier neck, duller black crown, slightly larger bib and sometimes a pale patch on the closed wing.
VOICE
Call variable, for example a low-pitched, nasal and down-slurred ‘zur’ or ‘si-si-zur zur zur’. Song a melanchonic and bell-like ‘tyu tyu tyu’.
HABITAT
Forests, scrub and parks in Europe apart from south-west. In Britain resident in England, Wales and southern Scotland.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds on insects, caterpillars and seeds. Nests in tree hollows, which it excavates itself. May visit birdfeeders.
SIMILAR SPECIES
Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus) 12cm long. Distinctive black-and-white head with a pointed crest. In Britain restricted in both range and habitat; breeds only in mature pine forests in the Scottish Highlands.
Nuthatch
Sitta europaea
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
14cm. Large head, no neck, short tail and heavy pointed bill. Back and head slate-grey with a long black eyestripe. Cheeks white, and breast and underparts rusty orange (darker in male). Flight similar to woodpecker’s, but tail is rounded.
VOICE
A loud strident ‘hwitt’ call. Song a repetitive ‘peeu-peeu-peeu’.
HABITAT
Mixed deciduous woods, parks and gardens with mature oaks from western Russia across Europe; absent from Ireland and Scotland.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds on nuts, seeds and invertebrates, using bill to winkle insects out of bark crevices. Nests in a cavity, usually in a tree, with entrance plastered with mud to provide correct size.
Treecreeper
Certhia familiaris
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
13cm. Mottled brown on back and white on underside, providing excellent camouflage against tree-trunks. Fine bill curves downwards. Long stiff tail helps bird balance in upright position against a trunk.
VOICE
Call a loud and thin ‘zzrreet’. Song is several scratchy notes ending in a thin trill.
HABITAT
Almost all woodland, parks, gardens and orchards with old trees that have loose bark for nest-sites. Occurs throughout Europe except south.
FOOD AND HABITS
Probes bark crevices for insects and small spiders. Nests in a crevice behind a flap of bark.
Golden Oriole
Oriolus oriolus
SIZE AND DESCRIPTION
24cm. Starling-sized bird with male plumage a striking yellow and black. Female golden-olive above with a yellow rump and yellow-tipped dark tail.
VOICE
Call a harsh croaking ‘khraayk’. Song a loud and beautiful flutey whistling, ‘dode-lio’.
HABITAT
Mature deciduous forests, poplar stands and parks across Europe except north and far west. Winters in Africa. In Britain a coastal migrant and rare breeder in East Anglia.
FOOD AND HABITS
Feeds mainly on insects and fruits. Builds a hanging basket-shaped nest in a tree.
Great Grey Shrike
Lanius excubitor
Length 24cm. Pale grey above, white below, with a white eyestripe and long tail with white edges. Hooked beak, typical for shrikes. Sits prominently on bushes and cables, from which it swoops onto prey that includes insects, lizards, small rodents and birds. Impales prey on sharp point like a thorn. Summer visitor to open habitats with thickets in southern and eastern Europe. In Britain very rare and mainly on east coast.