No.051 · Birds · Rare
Cetti's warbler
Cettia cetti
A skulking, russet warbler with an explosive song that erupts from scrub.
When to see a Cetti's warbler
All year, mostly at dawn, by day and at dusk.
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Time of day
- Dawn
- Day
- Dusk
- Night
Where to see a Cetti's warbler in the UK
- The Norfolk Broads. Scrub and carr around Hickling and Horsey.
Cetti's warbler facts at a glance
- Best time
- Dawn and day, all year; song loudest March–June.
- Where in the game
- the Norfolk Broads (carr, reedbed and fen)
- Size
- Length about 14 cm (Wildlife Trusts)
- Wingspan
- About 17 cm (Wildlife Trusts)
- Weight
- About 14 g (BTO)
- Lifespan
- Oldest ringed bird 9 years 3 months (BTO)
- Population
- About 3,450 males (BTO, 2016)
- Status
- Green (Birds of Conservation Concern 5, 2021)
Diet
Small insects
Habitat
Wet scrub and reeds
Breeding
Two broods a year; 4–5 eggs; incubation 16–17 days; fledging 14–16 days.
Field signs
- Sudden, explosive bursts of song from dense cover: you hear it long before you see it
- A dark, stocky warbler with short wings and a full, rounded tail, diving for cover
- Skulking low in bramble, scrub and reed edges, resident all year
Did you know?
- First recorded in Britain in Hampshire in 1961, it first bred in Kent in 1972 (RSPB, BTO).
- It is named after the 18th-century zoologist Francesco Cetti (Wildlife Trusts).
- Numbers up 1,230% between 1995 and 2024 (BTO).
Moments worth waiting for
- Song burst
A hidden bird bursts into song.
Photo tip
Be still by a song post at dawn in March–June: work out where the bursts come from, stand well back and wait for the bird to climb to a low perch. Use 400–500 mm at 1/1000 s and take the shot when it shows, which is rare.
Be a good naturalist
Schedule 1 species: do not disturb nests or use playback, which draws males away from their territory. Stay on paths and out of the scrub.
The law
Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
