Wood Warblers are red-listed in the UK. We’ve also named them an RSPB Priority Species, which means we’re focussing our efforts on researching and resolving the causes of the species’ decline. This includes carefully managing the quality of our western upland woodlands and Atlantic oakwood forests.
The species is in decline and is largely restricted to Atlantic upland woodland and oakwood forest in the west of the UK.
You could see one at these RSPB nature reserves: Lake Vyrnwy, Powys; Ynys-hir, Ceredigion; Nagshead, Gloucestershire; Loch Lomond, West Dunbartonshire; and Inversnaid, Sterlingshire.
The Wood Warbler is the largest of the Phylloscopus (meaning ‘leaf seeker’) warblers. These plucky birds can be seen in the UK between April and September, when they return from Africa to breed.
June is the perfect time to eyeball a Wood Warbler, as they flit back and forth collecting insects and spiders to feed their brood of five to six boisterous chicks. It’s the perfect excuse for a summer stroll through their preferred habitat of Atlantic oak forest, which you can find in RSPB nature reserves like Lake Vyrnwy and Loch Lomond.
By summer, most Wood Warblers are paired off and have less need to sing. However, lucky listeners could catch their characterful 'coin spinning’ song which, sadly, has become increasingly rare. These spritely little birds have suffered steep declines since the 1990s and 2010. This has led to the species being placed on the Red list of UK Birds of Conservation Concern.
Brilliant birds, month by month: what to see and where to go.
