Fun Icterine Warbler Facts For Kids

Anusuya Mukherjee
Nov 17, 2022 By Anusuya Mukherjee
Originally Published on Aug 05, 2021
Edited by Monisha Kochhar
Fact-checked by Oluwapelumi Iwayemi
Icterine warbler facts about the old world warbler species.
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 6.4 Min

Warblers have an extremely large range. Old World warblers are a huge group and have over 400 species in over 70 genera. The Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina) too is an old-world species of birds. They are small to medium-sized birds and are olive green in color. They have green on their upper half of the body and yellow on the lower half with a yellowish mouth but these are light shades and not prominent hence you would have to take a closer look to identify them.

Similar species to this include the willow warbler, reed warblers, and others. They are migratory birds and reside in Europe for the most part but migrate to sub-Saharan Africa in the wintering months. Their occurrence is common to deciduous woodlands and parkland in southern Finland. This article aims at providing fun and entertaining facts about these bird species. If you like this article, then visit our Ovenbird and Eastern Kingbird articles for more fun facts.

Icterine Warbler Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an Icterine Warbler?

The Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina) is a type of bird and belongs to the Animalia kingdom and order Passeriformes.

What class of animal does an Icterine Warbler belong to?

The Icterine Warbler is bird species that belong to the Aves class of species and family Acrocephalidae and genus Hippolais.  

How many Icterine Warblers are there in the world?

The Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina) exact distribution/number of the population is not evaluated, however, Old World warblers are a huge group and have over 400 species in over 70 genera and are found in most countries in and around the world except in Antarctica. There are 50 species of warblers in the United States.

Where does an Icterine Warbler live?

The Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina) resides in trees and near water in open woods with ample amounts of flora like scrubs, large trees, and bushes. They are seen in Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa and are migratory birds meaning that they might be found in other parts during migration.

What is an Icterine Warbler's habitat?

The Icterine Warbler's habitat primarily constitutes areas away from human intervention and can be seen on the outskirts of areas. They primarily feed on insects hence they reside in similar areas where they can easily access food.

Who do Icterine Warblers live with?

They are seen living in small groups and are territorial beings. They travel together in flocks and also migrate likewise. They also come together for mating. They are found in tall forests with oaks and birch, mixed forests, gardens, and parks.

How long does an Icterine Warbler live?

They live an average life of one to five years. The oldest warbler species was the yellow warbler which lived up to 11 years and caught two times and released two times as well.

How do they reproduce?

Icterine warblers reproduce sexually adult males and females mate together like most old world species they are monogamous in nature and breeding occurs in lush mixed and deciduous forests. Since these birds are migratory breeding occurs in northern France in deciduous woodland and parkland in southern Finnish regions. Post mating they build a nest and take care of the offspring together and the female lays four to five eggs by the end of May or June. After this there is an incubation period of 13-15 days. Once the juvenile birds are 13 days old they become independent enough and leave their nests.

What is their conservation status?

The Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina) is classified as a Least Concern species by the International Union For Conservation Of Nature (IUCN).

Icterine Warbler Fun Facts

What do Icterine Warblers look like?

These birds are olive-gray, they have green upperparts, and yellowish underparts. Icterine warblers are small to medium-sized birds whose crown rises to its peak above their eye and a vague yellowish supercilium with pale eye-ring. This gives their head a unique appearance. Distinctive features include their longish daggerlike bill. The feathers have pale fringes ad they also possess projecting feathers. Their secondary wing feathers have pale edges and the wing panel stands out on their dark wings. Their tails have a squarish edge and are blunt. Their folded wings reach the tip of under tail coverts and the primary projection is as long as tertials. They have bluish-gray feet and legs.

Icterine birds are small to medium-sized birds that reside in a tree.

How cute are they?

They are as cute as their description and unique bird species although there are various species of warblers similar to them.

How do they communicate?

Warblers are songbirds. They communicate with a song as well as call. Their song is fast, melodious, loud, and full of mimicry.  

How big is an Icterine Warbler?

The Icterine warbler is 5.1 in (13 cm) in length which is three times bigger than the smallest bird in the world the bee hummingbird which is 2.4 in (6.1 cm) tall.

How fast can an Icterine Warbler fly?

Icterine warblers are migratory birds and have the capacity to travel long distances at a relatively good flight speed with equal rests in between. They are small to medium-sized birds.

How much does an Icterine Warbler weigh?

The Icterine warbler weighs 0.02-0.03 lb (10-15 g). The Semper's warbler and the russet crowned warbler are the heaviest of the warbler species and also the largest in size however, they are new world warbler species.

What are their male and female names of the species?

Male and female warblers not addressed differently however, they differ in reproductive functions. Professionals in the field can easily identify the differences between male and female species.

What would you call a baby Icterine Warbler?

Baby Icterine warbler like other species of birds is referred to as a nestling or a chick in the initial stages of its life. The baby warbler is completely dependant on their parents in the initial few weeks, once they develop wings and feathers they move out of their nests and become independent birds.

What do they eat?

The warbler diet primarily constitutes invertebrates. They consume everything including beetles, flies, moths, and caterpillars.

Are they poisonous?

No, these birds are not poisonous or dangerous either. They can be seen from a distance but they seldom come near human habitations, and their instant response to any danger is their flight instinct.

Would they make a good pet?

It is illegal in the United States to possess a songbird without licensed regulations hence it's best to ensure that you are well informed about all the legalities and only then move forward. These songbirds best thrive in the wild keeping them caged restricts them and can be detrimental to their health.

Did you know...

You could install the Merlin App on your phone to gain more knowledge about these bird species as well as other species of birds. The app assists you in identifying bird species a click away. You can sign in to see your badges and discover species native and nonnative species. You can also find their identification details by using the assistance provided on the app.

Translations for the name of these species exist in most languages including English, Portuguese, Armenian, Spanish, Swedish, Greek, Italian, French, German, Polish, Serbian, Latvian, Dutch, and others. Icterine warblers are colloquially referred to by birders as Icky.

Do Icterine Warblers migrate?

They are migratory species of birds and reside in Sub Saharan Africa in winters and migrate southward by July to August. It begins its return to the breeding range in late May. This is repeated yearly. Most warbler species migrate long distances.

How did Icterine Warblers get their name?

Icterine means a color that is yellowish. It is derived from Ancient Greece Ikteros (Jaundice). The bird gets its name primarily owing to its color and they are a species of warbler, so are called Icterine warblers. Warblers are largely defined as songbirds, melodious in nature. Different species of warblers are seen in most countries around the world their distribution varies depending on the migratory patterns and climate.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our Blackburnian Warbler fun facts and Palm Warbler interesting facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable warbler coloring pages.

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Written by Anusuya Mukherjee

Bachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights

Anusuya Mukherjee picture

Anusuya MukherjeeBachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights

With a wealth of international experience spanning Europe, Africa, North America, and the Middle East, Anusuya brings a unique perspective to her work as a Content Assistant and Content Updating Coordinator. She holds a law degree from India and has practiced law in India and Kuwait. Anusuya is a fan of rap music and enjoys a good cup of coffee in her free time. Currently, she is working on her novel, "Mr. Ivory Merchant".

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