Lesser Whitethroat

Overview

The lesser whitethroat is a common and widespread Old World warbler that breeds in temperate Europe, except the southwest, and in the western and central Palearctic. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, spending its winters in Africa just south of the Sahara, as well as in Arabia and India.

Identification

• A small species with a grey back, whitish underparts, and a white throat.
• Features a grey head with a darker 'bandit mask' through the eyes.
• Sexes are almost identical, unlike many other sylviid warblers.
• Song consists of a fast and rattling sequence of 'tet' or 'che' calls, distinct from the scolding song of the common whitethroat.

Habitat

This bird frequents fairly open country and cultivated land that provides large bushes for nesting, along with some trees. It is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List.

Diet

Like most warblers, it is primarily insectivorous but will also consume berries and other soft fruit. Nests are built in low shrubs or brambles, where 3 to 7 eggs are typically laid.

Did you know?

The specific name curruca is the Latin word for an unidentified bird mentioned by the Roman poet Juvenal, a usage that the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner applied to this species in 1555.