Predominantly restricted to lowland heaths in southern England, the Dartford warbler is a secretive small breeding bird with unique coloring and physical attributes.
What does a Dartford Warbler look like?
The mature male Dartford warbler exhibits a vibrant reddish-brown chest and possesses a striking red eye and prominent red eye ring. Its throat, adorned with pale buff spots, showcases a rufous-brown hue, while its underside transitions from reddish-brown to mid-brown, culminating in a dirty white belly. Its back is a blend of brown and gray, and it boasts a slender tail of considerable length. The forehead is easily recognizable, prominently protruding and colored in a shade of gray. It possesses compact, rounded gray wings, a short, spiky bill with a yellowish base, and pale legs and feet.
In comparison to the male, the female Dartford warbler exhibits a less vibrant appearance, devoid of the red breast coloring, and showcases an overall more subdued grayish plumage. The juvenile, resembling the female, displays an even greater prevalence of gray tones.
What does a Dartford Warbler sound like?
A rather fast low reverberating almost scratchy warble interspersed with higher notes similar to ‘chirr – chirr – chirr’.
What does a Dartford Warbler eat?
Its favoured diet is insects and spiders which it forages for in low undergrowth, but it will also select berries and seeds, particularly in the winter time.
Where can I see Dartford Warblers?
Dartford warblers are UK breeding residents normally found in lowland areas of heather or gorse particularly around the south and south-west heathland areas of England.
Signs and Spotting tips
Often difficult to spot as they forage amongst heather or low lying gorse; on a warm summer’s day you will find them sunbathing on a flowering gorse bush or quickly flitting about in flight between bushes. The shape and colouration, particularly of the male aids identification although it is easy to confuse it with the vagrant Subalpine Warbler, an extremely rare visitor to our shores from continental southern Europe and Africa.
How does a Dartford Warbler breed?
Dartford warblers normally pair for life and a cup shaped nest is usually built by both birds close to the ground in either heather or gorse on gently sloping coastal heathland. The female lays up to three broods between April and July each brood consisting of between 3 to 5 eggs. The eggs are coloured very pale green or white with brown speckles. Eggs hatch after two weeks and the chicks fledge after a further fourteen days.
How long do Dartford Warblers live for?
As with most UK warblers, the average life span of the Dartford is up to five years.