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Birds by name
Conservation status: Green
As the name suggests, this warbler is smaller than its cousin the whitethroat. It sports dark cheek feathers that contrast with the pale throat and can give it a 'masked' look. When its flits from cover you might see the white outer feathers of its tail. Lesser whitethroats are hard to see and often only noticed when they give their harsh, rattling song, or 'tacking' call.
Warblers and allies (Sylviidae)
The lesser whitethroat is a fairly secretive warbler which lives in areas of scrub and hedges. It's found in England, Wales and southern Scotland, but absent from upland areas.
They start to arrive in the UK from April and most leave the country by mid-October.
Insects in spring and summer; in autumn, these warblers feed up on berries to build up their fat reserves before migration.
* UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.
Please note that the map is only intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
Patrik Aberg, Xeno-canto