Species: Whitethroat (Curruca communis)
Family: Old World Warblers (SYLVIIDAE)
Category: Birds
Location: SW
A. Birds
More extensive information on birds can be found in a separate blog post.
B. Old World Warblers (SYLVIIDAE)
Most warblers in Europe and Asia are migratory, leaving their northern breeding grounds for the winter months to find insects in the warmer south. Most migration occurs at night, and birds will put on substantial fat reserves before undertaking these long journeys; it is not unknown for birds to double their body weight with fat in preparation. However, as climates change, this pattern of migration is evolving with birds not moving so far south, and a few individuals even overwintering on their breeding grounds.
C. Whitethroat (Curruca communis)
The Whitethroat is a medium-sized warbler, about the size of a great tit. It has quite a long tail which it flicks and cocks as it darts rapidly in and out of cover. The male has a grey head, a white throat and a brown back, and is buff underneath.
Images
Whitethroat
Whitethroats are summer migrants to the UK, flying all the way from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia to breed here. The first birds tend to arrive in April, with the last leaving by early October.
