Dartford Warbler
Sylvia undata
Habitat
Understory
Diet
Invertebrate
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
11 g
About This Species
A heathland specialist found in Britain, western France, the Iberian Peninsula and around parts of the Mediterranean, typically seen darting low between gorse and heather rather than sitting in the open. The male's dark plumage, red eye-ring and long, often cocked tail are distinctive when a bird perches briefly on top of a gorse bush to sing. It stays resident year-round in its range, so any season can produce a sighting, though song and display are most frequent in spring.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- This species is listed as Near Threatened and its heathland habitat is scarce and slow to recover from damage, so stay on paths and avoid pushing into gorse or heather stands where birds shelter and nest low to the ground.
- Severe winters already cause population crashes in parts of its range, and unnecessary disturbance adds further pressure during the breeding season.
- It receives special legal protection in the United Kingdom, where approaching an active nest without a licence is an offence, and similar heathland protections apply in parts of its European range.
NTAvesPasseriformesSylviidae
Seasonal Activity
167,592 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Sylviidae
Traits
- Diet
- Invertebrate
- Foraging
- Understory
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 11 g
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.