Cetti's warbler

Cettia cetti

Photo by Jorge Silva (Verdes Ecos) 

Common name:

Cetti's warbler (en); rouxinol-bravo (pt); bouscarle de Cetti (fr); ruiseñor bastardo (es); seidensänger (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Sylviidae

Range:

This species is a resident breeder in the Mediterranean basin, being found from the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco to Turkey. They are found as far north as Belgium and The Netherlands.

Size:

The Cetti's warbler is 13-14 cm long and has a wingspan of 17 cm. They weigh 12-15 g.

Habitat:

They are found in dense vegetation near marshes, lakes, swamps and slow rivers.

Diet:

Cetti's warblers feed primarily on insects and their larvae, but also spiders, small snails and other small mollusks, and occasionally plant seeds.

Breeding:

These birds breed in April-June. The female builds a small cup-shaped nest, placed on a reed or bush near water. There she lays 3-6 dark orange to reddish brown eggs, which she incubates alone for 13-17 days. The chicks are mostly fed by the female, although the male may occasionally also help. The chicks fledge 14-16 days after hatching. Each pair typically produces 2 broods per season.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population of 5-20 million individuals. The population is suspected to be increasing due to a northward range expansion in the west of its range.