From Opus

Photo by digimad
England

Sylvia borin

[edit] Identification

13-14.5 cm
A plump warbler with round head and stubby bill. Rather featureless plumage with uniform olive brown-grey upperparts and paler underparts.

[edit] Distribution

Breeds virtually throughout Europe, wintering to tropical Africa.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

• S. b. borin:

• British Isles to Scandinavia, southern Urals and Caucasus; winters to southern Africa

• S. b. woodwardi (pallida):

• Northern European Russia and western Siberia; winters to southern Africa

[edit] Habitat

Woods, gardens and heaths with plenty of brambly undergrowth.

[edit] Behaviour

Each fall, this tiny bird sets out in the night, to begin its incredible journey. It makes it way over Germany, France and Spain, then turns southward to Africa, its final destination. Covering one hundred miles or more in one night, the warbler flies without error, guided toward its goal by keen navigational instincts. Even when blown out of its way by powerful side-winds, it is able to set itself back on course as soon as the weather has calmed. After wintering in Africa, the bird retraces is path back north, to its former nesting place in a European thicket. There it raises another generation of little warblers which will grow up, untaught, but completely able to fly over the same route their parents took, guided by the stars.

The garden warbler does not have the security of a flock, but travels alone.

[edit] Breeding

Nests low in low bushes.

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
3. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
4. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6

• List of references

[edit] External Links