Greenish Warbler
Phylloscopus trochiloides
Habitat
Understory
Diet
Invertebrate
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
8 g
About This Species
This small, plain warbler breeds in montane and boreal forest across northern Eurasia and winters in South Asian woodland, foraging actively in the understory and lower canopy for insects while giving a distinctive rising, disyllabic call. Its subtle plumage makes song and call the most reliable way to locate it, particularly during the breeding season when males sing persistently from cover. Spring and early summer on the breeding grounds, or winter in wooded gardens and forest on the wintering range, both offer good chances to see it.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- A quiet approach to within 5-10 metres is usually possible before the bird moves off, though patience and stillness work better than close pursuit.
- Migratory bird protections apply across much of its breeding and wintering range, but the specific legal framework differs by country, so check local rules before using calls or nets.
- Limit the use of playback to brief bouts, since prolonged broadcasting of song can disrupt territorial behaviour during the breeding season.
Seasonal Activity
239,063 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Phylloscopidae
Traits
- Diet
- Invertebrate
- Foraging
- Understory
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 8 g
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.