Fun Willow Warbler Facts For Kids

There exist two families of warbler birds, one is the old world and the other the new world species. The old world comprises 325 species that occur throughout Africa and Australia and the new world comprises 113 species that occur throughout the Americas. Willow warblers are one among the same family of species.

Willow warblers are migratory birds and migrate westwards towards West Asia prior to moving to South Africa. When they traverse such huge distances they might lose track in places like southeast Asia. Willow warblers are often compared with chiff chaff birds however, they are different species of the same family. The simplest way to tell the willow warblers vs chiff chaff apart is by observing the color of their feet - chiff chaff has dark gray feet while willow warblers have light pinkish feet. They also differ in sound while chiffchaff's call their own name as a song, willow warblers have a twinkling sound. Read on to learn more!

If you liked this article, then visit mourning warbler and palm warbler fact articles too.

What type of animal is a willow warbler?

Willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) is a type of bird and belongs to the Phylloscopus genus of species.  

What class of animal does a willow warbler belong to?

The Willow warbler is a bird that belongs to the Aves class of species and is an abundant breeding summer visitor.

How many willow warblers are there in the world?

The exact number of willow warblers in the world is not known. They are migratory birds and are often confused at first glance with various other species of smaller birds. There are 54 species of warblers that exist in the United States.

Where does a willow warbler live?

Willow warbler (scientific name Phylloscopus trochilus) lives in farmland scrubs, woodlands, parks, and gardens. They are mostly seen in European regions and stay in regions of the United Kingdom from April until September. They are migratory birds and also reside in other parts of the world where similar climatic conditions exist.

What is a willow warbler's habitat?

They are seen in northern and temperate Europe during winters almost all of the population are seen wintering in sub-Saharan regions of Africa. They need constant access to water and there is a chance of loss of population in case of drought or change in habitat.  

Who do willow warblers live with?

The Willow warbler is a bird that coexists with other species of birds. They come together for the mating season and also seen alone in some instances. They are alert beings and are wary of any possible predators.

How long does a willow warbler live?

The average lifespan of a willow warbler the summer visitor is two years. The oldest known yellow warbler was a  female and was eleven years old when she was captured again. She was released during banding operations in New York.

How do they reproduce?

The process of the reproductive cycle begins with the male of the species singing to attract a mate. They continue to sing until they find a possible mate. The Willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) is largely monogamous in nature. Post mating the female one to seven eggs. They have an incubation period that lasts a maximum of up to 14 days. The young ones remain in the nest for up to 8-12 days and may extend for two weeks more. The initial efforts are mostly part of the females and the male's support as the young nestlings grow older. They mate again once the breeding season begins and the same cycle repeats.

What is their conservation status?

The willow warbler (scientific name Phylloscopus trochilus) conservation status is considered as a Least Concern species by the International Union For Conservation Of Nature (IUCN).

What do willow warblers look like?

Willow warblers are pale yellowish to greenish-brown with a pale eyebrow and pinkish legs. They comprise a major part of the wildlife of European nations. They have a habit of dipping their tail. Most warblers are small in size and have similar features but are not completely the same. Since they are migratory they are seen in different countries at different points of time and have a  region-specific common name available in multiple languages. Their bill is pale, eyes black. Most warblers have long primary feathers on their brown-colored wings. If you wish to spot one it's best to look for them in woodland with trees and ground cover.

How cute are they?

These birds are extremely small and cute to look at. Willow warblers are slim and delicate birds of woodland, scrub, parks, and gardens. If you are not able to see these birds physically then you could log in to the eBird website's main menu or the Merlin.

How do they communicate?

The Willow warbler (scientific name Phylloscopus trochilus) has different sounds and calls. They sing with a tinkling, descending phrase that ends in a slight flourish.

How big is a willow warbler?

Willow warbler is 4.3-5.11 in (11-13 cm) in length which is 50 times bigger than the world's tiniest and smallest fish in the world called Paedocypris which is 10.3 mm in size.

How fast can a willow warbler fly?

Willow warbler (scientific name Phylloscopus trochilus) has good speed and is a migratory bird. A small Siberian willow warbler holds a record in the long-distance migration in the 10 g weight category. These tiny birds have the capacity to fly 8000 mi which is 13000 km or more in order to reach their destination.

How much does a willow warbler weigh?

Willow warbler weighs 0.01-0.03 lb which is 6-14 g. Great reed warblers are the largest of the European warblers and russet crowned warbler is considered the largest species of new world species of warbler.

What are their male and female names of the species?

Male and female species are not addressed differently. They are similar in size more or less and hence it's difficult to identify the difference between the two. Males and females differ in reproductive functions.

What would you call a baby willow warbler?

The baby willow warbler (scientific name Phylloscopus trochilusis) referred to as a nestling. They are completely dependent on their parents in the initial few weeks and once they are independent i.e. capable of flying and hunting for themselves, they leave their nests.

What do they eat?

Warbler willow feeds on insects, spiders, fruits, and berries in autumn. Feeding on fruits and berries happens in rare instances if they don't find any alternative. Willow warblers also need adequate amounts of water and will not be able to survive if drought occurs.

Are they dangerous?

The Warbler willow is not dangerous unless its territory is meddled with. Their instant response to any threat is their flight instinct. They are small birds and might fall prey to predators like snakes and other bigger carnivorous birds.

Would they make a good pet?

Willow warblers are a summer visitor and is innately a wild bird hence, its not a good idea to adopt these birds as this would affect their health and lifespan as well. This summer visitor is a migratory bird and best thrives in the wild.  

Did you know...

There is an application called Merlin which you can install on your phones and it helps you identify which species of bird you just saw it also saves memories. The only requirements are to take a picture of the species and fill out some basic questions.

The Willow warbler was spotted for the first time on the outskirts of Thiruvananthpuram, a district in Kerala, India. It is one of the longest migrating birds. There have been identified a total of 163 species of birds and photographed over 100 species.

Where do willow warblers nest?

Willow warblers nest on the ground hidden in vegetation. Males collect material for the nest and females build the nest. Their nest is shaped similar to a ball. They mate during the breeding season and parent birds are largely monogamous in nature however, there are instances of polygamous relationships as well.

Do willow warblers migrate?

Willow warblers migrate for long distances often crossing different continents. They and migrate westwards towards West Asia prior to moving to South Africa. When they traverse such huge distances they might lose track in places like southeast Asia. They are known to traverse 8000 mi which is 13000 km or more in order to reach their destination and take ample rests in the middle. These unique birds are one of a kind and if you are visiting a region native to this species keep a lookout for these species as well. Their population is deeply affected by drought and change in climatic conditions hence it's essential to preserve the environment in order to protect this species and also in turn preserve the food chain.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including the purple finch or Nicobar pigeon.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our willow warbler coloring pages.