A photo of a Western Bonelli's Warbler (Phylloscopus bonelli)
Western Bonelli's Warbler

Western Bonelli's Warbler

Phylloscopus bonelli

The Western Bonelli's Warbler, Phylloscopus bonelli, is a diminutive and active leaf warbler, flitting through the foliage in search of insects. This species, named after the Italian ornithologist Franco Andrea Bonelli, is adorned with a plain grey-green back, a green-toned rump and wings, and whitish underparts. Both sexes are identical in plumage, which is typical for warblers.

Identification Tips

When identifying the Western Bonelli's Warbler, look for its small, pointed bill and brown legs. The upperparts may have a subtle brownish hue, distinguishing it from its eastern counterpart, which may instead exhibit a greenish tinge.

Habitat

This warbler favors forests and woodlands, where it can be seen actively foraging among the leaves.

Distribution

The Western Bonelli's Warbler breeds in southwest Europe and north Africa. It is a migratory bird, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa, and occasionally appears as a rare vagrant in Northern Europe.

Behaviour

During the breeding season, the Western Bonelli's Warbler lays four to six eggs in a ground nest. The eggs are white with reddish-brown markings, typically in clutches of 3-5. Incubation lasts about 14 days, and the young fledge in 10-14 days. Cuckoo nest predation and brood parasitism pose significant threats to their breeding success.

Song & Calls

The song of the Western Bonelli's Warbler is a fast monotone trill, bearing resemblance to the wood warbler's song but with slight differences from the Eastern Bonelli's Warbler. Its call is a distinctive disyllabic 'hu-it', which is notably different from the 'chup' call of the Eastern Bonelli's Warbler.

Diet and Feeding

Insectivorous by nature, the Western Bonelli's Warbler is typically seen gleaning insects from leaves and branches.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List classifies the Western Bonelli's Warbler as Least Concern, indicating that the species currently faces no imminent threat to its survival.

Western Bonelli's Warbler Sounds

Western Bonelli's Warbler Song

00:14

Western Bonelli's Warbler Call

00:23

Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.
Download Birda on the Apple App StoreDownload Birda on the Google Play Store

Distribution of the Western Bonelli's Warbler

Use two fingers to move the map
Use ctrl + scroll to zoom the map
Breeding Season
Non-breeding Season
Passage

Western Bonelli's Warblers on Birda

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.
What Our Birders Say
Birdafan
Ideal Birdwatch Companion
Simply adds to the enjoyment of my birdwatching and helps me record what I’ve seen.
Erna M
I really like Birda
I really like Birda. I also use other birding apps and have Birda with E-bird going at the same time.
Ellesse_W
Learning Birding with Birda
I’m relatively new to birding as a hobby, and Birda is a great way to keep track off all the species I see. I’m still working on my ID skills, but the app is great for figuring out potential species, and the online community is so friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend Birda to both early and serious birders! 🐦
Talli A
My favourite app
As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
D3Nature
Great app for learning Birds
I’ve been using the app for a couple of months and love it....Someone said it’s like a real life Pokémon Go for birds. They’re not far off! It’s something that the family can do that gets you out and about. Well worth downloading no matter your age.
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
Alex J
Friendly and helps to identify birds
Great birding app, good for logging your sightings, also has nice species guide. I'm enjoying the social aspect more than I expected, everyone seems friendly and helps to identify unknown birds. Good mix of newbies and experienced users.
Nedz53
Really useful
Downloaded to give it a try, everything worked perfectly, recorded my first bird watching walk. Very impressed. Have already recommended to friends!
Marlster24
Very Wholesome App
Joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😄
As featured in
BBC RadioABC NewsFox NewsForbesTimeoutAndroid CentralBirdWatching DailyPetapixel