Would you like to know how to identify the whitethroat, where the bird spends the winter and how you can support it? You can find the answers in our species portrait.
The rattle warbler (Sylvia curruca), also known as the fence warbler, is the smallest of our native warblers. Like its larger relatives, the lesser warbler is quite inconspicuous and likes to hide in dense vegetation. It is therefore best recognized by its song, just like the blackcap or garden warbler. The clattering bird call is reminiscent of the rattling of a mill wheel, which has given the bird the popular name "Müllerchen". You can find out how to clearly identify the lesser warbler, when the songbird can be observed with us and everything else you need to know about our smallest warbler here in our large profile.
Rattlecap: Wanted Poster
| Size | About 12 cm |
| Weight | About 12 - 16 g |
| Incubation | May - June |
| Lifetime | Up to 11 years |
| Habitat | Semi-open landscape, park or garden |
| Food Preference | Insects |
| Threats | Declining food and habitat |
How to recognize the Lesser Warbler
The lesser warbler is a fairly plain colored songbird. Their grey-brown upper side is in clear contrast to their light underside. This contrast is most evident between the gray head and the snow-white throat. Some individuals also have a tinged, light-colored eye stripe. However, this feature is rare. Male and female rattle warblers are colored the same and even the juveniles look confusingly similar to their parents after a short time.
Note: You can confuse the lesser warblervery easily with the closely related whitethroat. Although this is characterized by a slightly lighter, reddish-brown upper side and plumage that is less contrasting overall, it is not always easy to distinguish between the two species, especially in poor light conditions.
What's that rattle warbler song like?
The eponymous song of the whitethroat consists of a wooden "Tell-tell-tell-tell-tell…". The bird call can often be heard through thick, low vegetation.
What habitat does the whitethroat prefer?
As a habitat, the whitethroat prefers semi-open landscapes. These include forest edges with adjoining open spaces, cultural landscapes with isolated hedges or groups of trees, large, wild gardens or parks and cemeteries.
Where does the whitethroat build its nest?
The whitethroat builds its nest in dense vegetation. Hedges, shrubs or even conifers are usually used for this. They often build their open nest just a few meters above the ground.
When is the breeding season of the whitethroat?
Rattle Warblers breed between May and June. During this time they create one or two broods. The incubation itself as well as the rearing and feeding of the young is teamwork in the case of lesser warblers - both sexes take care of the offspring, which hatch out of their eggs naked and blind after an incubation period of around twelve days. The young rattle warblers stay in the nest for two weeks and are intensively cared for by their parents. After that they are already fully grown and make their first attempts to fly.
Where does the whitethroat spend the winter?
As long-distance migrants, whitethroats set out early in the year to cover long distances to their wintering grounds. These are located in East Africa, where the insectivores find enough food even in winter. The little warblers only return to us around April.You can find out what hardships they have to put up with on these long journeys, how the birds find their way around during the migration and many other exciting facts about "migratory birds".
Support the Rattlecap in the garden: Here's how it works
In our increasingly monotonous landscape, dense vegetation and other breeding grounds for lesser warblers have been in decline for a long time. And the ongoing loss of insects is also causing problems for the songbirds. You can find out here how you can support the lesser warbler in your own home.
What do rattle warblers eat?
Rattle Warblers are primarily insectivores, but they sometimes eat berries and fruit as well. However, you cannot lure the small garden birds with classic birdseed, which mainly consists of grains and seeds.
You can support rattle warblers much better with an insect-friendly garden - by doing without chemical sprays or by creating a flowering meadow. With our Plantura beneficial insect magnet, for example, you can implement such a flowering meadow quickly and easily and create a real paradise for a large number of small garden visitors without much effort.
Which nesting aids are suitable for whitethroats?
Classic closed nest boxes, such as those used for jackdaws or great tits, are not suitable for whitecaps. The free breeders prefer open nests, which they make themselves from all kinds of plant fibers. However, you can still support the songbirds in the garden - for example, by letting your hedges and bushes grow wild and bushy in order to offer the birds well-protected nesting places.
How can you support the lesser warbler?
During hot summer days, water is a precious commodity for garden birds. With a bird bath, you can support a variety of other bird species in addition to the lesser warbler. A simple flat bowl or a trivet is already suitable for this - it does not necessarily have to be an impressive drinking trough. However, make sure that any type of water point is cleaned regularly, otherwise at high temperatures they can quickly develop into breeding grounds for bacteria and other pathogens. It is therefore best to clean your water points every day on hot days.
Another long-distance migrant, which is only at home with us in summer and during this time there is a rich range of insectsrejoices is the house martin. Get to know this garden bird a little better in our detailed portrait of the species.