Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Wood Warbler

Phylloscopus sibilatrix (Bechstein, 1793)

11–12 cmLength22 cmWingspan9.2 gWeight

This leaf warbler has a green back, white belly and lemon-yellow supercilium, throat and breast.

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: Poland, Ghana, Israel

Looks like Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Yellow supercilium
  2. Yellow throat and upper breast
  3. Green back; white belly
  4. Tail shorter and broader than in Common Chiffchaff; longer primary projection

Voice

Song has two forms: a high-pitched metallic trill with an accelerating rhythm, and 3–5 descending “piüü-piüü-piüü” notes.

Similar species

Common Chiffchaff
Common Chiffchaff

This species is distinguished by its yellow supercilium, throat and upper breast.

Willow Warbler
Willow Warbler

This species has a longer primary projection and a shorter, broader tail.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: Poland, Ghana, Israel

Wood Warbler has been recorded at 885 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 89 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Hel – CypelPoland481 records
  2. Antikythira Bird ObservatoryGreece431 records
  3. Jerusalem Bird ObservatoryIsrael330 records
More places
  1. Isola di VentoteneItaly322 records
  2. ErtholmeneDenmark263 records
  3. International Birding and Research Center Eilat (IBRCE)Israel263 records
  4. LinosaItaly230 records
  5. Atewa Range – upland forest & ridgeGhana189 records
  6. Sapieginės miškasLithuania189 records
  7. Kakum NP – CanopyGhana186 records

Countries and regions with the most records

PolandGhanaIsraelGreeceItalyRussiaSpainUnited Kingdom

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The wood warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix) is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe, and just into the extreme west of Asian Russia in the southern Ural Mountains. It is strongly migratory and the entire population winters in tropical Africa.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Wood Warbler?

The Wood Warbler is about 11–12 cm long, with a wingspan of 22 cm and weighs around 9.2 g.

Where does the Wood Warbler live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: Europe through northern Kazakhstan and central Russia. It is most often recorded in Poland, Ghana and Israel.

When is the best time to see the Wood Warbler?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April and May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Wood Warbler endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Wood Warbler as Least Concern.

What does the Wood Warbler eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Wood Warbler in?

It belongs to the family Leaf Warblers (Phylloscopidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
11–12 cm
Wingspan
22 cm
Weight
9.2 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
76 mm
Tail
51 mm
Bill
13 mm
Tarsus
18 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: Europe through northern Kazakhstan and central Russia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Leaf Warblers Phylloscopidae
Genus
Phylloscopus

Other birds in the genus Phylloscopus

Western Bonelli's WarblerWestern Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus bonelliEastern Bonelli's WarblerEastern Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus orientalisBuff-barred WarblerBuff-barred WarblerPhylloscopus pulcherAshy-throated WarblerAshy-throated WarblerPhylloscopus maculipennisHume's Leaf WarblerHume's Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus humeiYellow-browed WarblerYellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatusBrooks's Leaf WarblerBrooks's Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus subviridisChinese Leaf WarblerChinese Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus yunnanensisLemon-rumped WarblerLemon-rumped WarblerPhylloscopus chloronotusSichuan Leaf WarblerSichuan Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus forrestiGansu Leaf WarblerGansu Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus kansuensisPallas's Leaf WarblerPallas's Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus proregulus
Wood Warbler

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Mikhail Ezdakov. ↗

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