The close relatives willow willow and chiffchaff can easily be confused. We will show you how the two birds differ, how you can recognize the willow warbler, and provide additional information worth knowing about the warbler.
The willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) belongs to the genus of warblers and is therefore also called warbler. It is a widespread songbird that is also native to German gardens. However, due to its simple appearance, the Willow Warbler is easily overlooked, and even when it does show itself openly, it is often confused with its much more common relative, the Chiffchaff. So if you have the opportunity to observe a warbler in your own garden, you can consider yourself lucky and will also be rewarded with a very lovely song. You can find out how to recognize the willow hornbill, how to distinguish it from the chiffchaff and how you can offer it an attractive home in our large profile - with pictures and other exciting information.
Fitis: Profile
| Size | About 11 - 13 cm |
| Weight | About 10g |
| Incubation | May - July |
| Lifetime | About 5 years |
| Habitat | Light forests, parks and gardens |
| Food Preference | Insects and other small animals |
| Threats | Declining food and habitat |
How to recognize the Fitis
Wing Warblers are rather inconspicuous garden birds. The back, head and elytra are of an olive green color and stand in slight contrast to the light, yellow-tinged underside. The only distinctive feature of the Willow is a yellow eye stripe which, together with a yellowish cheek patch, frames a dark eye stripe. Unfortunately, male and female warblers cannot be distinguished visually.
How do you tell the difference between Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff?
The two bird species are Willow Willow and Chiffchaffvisually very difficult to distinguish from each other. As a rule, however, warblers have light-colored, orange-colored legs, while those of the chiffchaff are dark. In addition, the Willow Warbler has, on average, a longer and lighter eye stripe, which makes the overall facial markings appear clearer than that of the Chiffchaff. However, these distinguishing features can vary greatly and are not always clearly recognizable depending on the lighting conditions. The best way to tell the difference between willow chumps and chiffchaff is their song: While the willow hoof has a melodic, warbling song, the chiffchaff sings its own name in a two-syllable, loud "chiff-chiff-zilp-zalp".
What does Fitis singing sound like?
Willow Warblers have an extremely lovely, clearly recognizable song. This consists of a short stanza of bright, clear whistles that begins quickly and then drops in pitch, ending in a few, more drawn out notes. In addition to singing, the Fitis also has a reputation: "Hu-itt". However, this second bird call is less distinct and can easily be confused with other bird calls.
This is what Fitis singing sounds like:
How do you recognize a young willow bird?
Young warblers already look confusingly similar to their adult role models. On average, however, the young birds have a higher proportion of yellow feathers. While the breast is mainly yellow in the adult animals and the feathers on the belly turn a dirty white, juveniles are yellow all over the underside.
What do Fitis eggs look like?
Females will lay between four and seven eggs. These are about 1.4 centimeters in size, have a whitish base color and are covered with numerous light brown speckles. The eggs are laid in a nest made of moss, grass, twigs and other plant matter, which is lined with fine feathers and hair.
Which habitat does the willow prefer?
Wing Warblers prefer semi-open habitats with areas of dense vegetation. They live in light deciduous and mixed forests, meadow orchards, agricultural areas with hedges or small groups of trees, large parks and wild, structured gardens.
Where does the willow build its nest?
The willow builds its nest in hedges, bushes and other low placesVegetation. The nest itself is usually covered and has a side entrance - similar to a small oven. It is built very far down in the bushes, sometimes directly on the ground. Since it can be easy prey for cats and other nest robbers, the nest is preferably hidden in very wild and dense vegetation.
When is the breeding season of willow eaters?
The main breeding season of the willow lasts from May to July. During this time, most breeding pairs create one, rarely a second brood. The eggs are incubated for 12 to 14 days after they are laid. After the young birds have hatched, they are fed as so-called "nestlings" for another 14 days in the nest. After that, they explore their surroundings for the first time and, as "fledglings", are helped by their parents in their search for food for a while before they are left to their own devices.
Where does the fitis spend the winter?
Since warblers feed mainly on insects, they lack the basic food supply in winter. That is why the lively singers leave their breeding areas in the late spring and head south. They travel long distances to meet their food needs, eventually wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. In the spring they will start their return journey and will be back with us by May at the latest.
Support the Fitis in the garden: That's how it works
In our intensively used landscape, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the willow eater to find suitable habitats. Therefore, the songbirds often switch to habitats close to people, such as parks or gardens. Find out here how you can make your own garden fitis-friendly and provide a home for the magnificent singers.
What do warblers eat?
Wing Warblers feed mainly on insects, which they collect from leaves or twigs in their hopping flight. There are also other small animals such as spiders or molluscs on the menu, as well as berries and fruits. Bird food in the form of grains or seeds, on the other hand, cannot be used to lure the small birds - especially since they leave us in the late spring anyway and traditional winter feeding would therefore have no effect.
But that doesn't mean there's no other way to help the songbirds. With the design of an insect-friendly garden, you can still for aensure a plentiful supply of food. You can do this quickly and easily, for example with our Plantura beneficial insect magnet, which attracts a large number of small garden visitors and offers birds a natural source of food.
Which nesting aids are suitable for the Fitis?
As classic free breeders, warblers prefer to build their nests themselves. A nest box is therefore of no help to the little songbirds. These are more suitable for semi-cave and cavity breeders, such as blue tits or redstarts. You can therefore better support the warblers by offering natural nesting sites, for example bushes or hedges that reach the ground. Also, be careful not to cut back such shrubs too much, as Warblers need dense vegetation to protect their nests from intruders.
How can you support Fitis?
The intensive use of our landscape and the consequent decline in food and habitat have made life difficult for wild bird populations in recent years. If you want to counteract this development, you can campaign for a sustainable and structured design of our landscape. Of course you can start in your own garden. For example, refrain from using chemical sprays, as these reduce the supply of insects and can even poison birds through the food chain.
Another insectivore that can only be found here in summer and fills the air with its lovely song is the blackcap. Get to know this garden bird better in our next species portrait.