Wood warbler
Phylloscopus sibilatrix
Habitat
The Wood warbler lives in almost all of Europe, with the exception of the Iberian Peninsula, Ireland, and the Balkans. This bird species inhabits mixed forests and moist, shady lowland deciduous forests. The forest canopy must be dense. The undergrowth, on the other hand, must be sparse.
In the Netherlands, the Wood warbler occurs on higher sandy soils with wooded areas, near the dune region, in clay forests, in open beech forests, and in varied forests with well-developed shrub and tree layers.
Appearance
Diet
The Wood warbler feeds on invertebrates and supplements its diet with fruit.
Breeding
The Wood warbler is normally a monogamous bird species, but this bird species also often lives polygamously. When the first female is brooding, the male has a few days ‘off’ and keeps himself busy looking for another partner.
The breeding season takes place from May to July. At the beginning of the breeding season, the male performs song flights to attract the attention of a female. When a female is interested, she will respond with a soft contact call. The male will then slowly approach and chase the female. Eventually, the chase turns into courtship, with the pair sitting close together.
The female chooses the nesting site and builds the nest in 3 to 4 days. The nest is placed on the ground and consists of a ball of dry grasses, leaves, plant stems, plant fibers, bark, and animal hair.
The female lays 5 to 7 eggs and incubates them for 12 to 14 days. Both parents feed the chicks with caterpillars and larvae. After 11 to 13 days, the young leave the nest. After fledging, the young are fed by their parents for another 3 to 4 days. After this, the family members will stay together for another 4 weeks before each member goes its own way.