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Cetti's warbler (Cettia cetti) is a small, brown warbler in the family Cettiidae, which breeds in southern and western Europe, northwest Africa and the east Palearctic as far as Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. The sexes are alike. The bird is named after the 18th-century Italian zoologist, Francesco Cetti. This species is often difficult to see because of its skulking habits. The specific epithet was chosen to commemorate the Italian zoologist Francesco Cetti. Cetti's warbler is now placed in the genus Cettia that was erected in 1834 by the French ornithologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte, a nephew of Napoleon, with Cetti's warbler as the type species.

Three subspecies are recognised:

The sexes have similar plumage, but males are 26% to 32% heavier than females with a wing-length 11.2% to 13% longer. The male has a wing longer than 60 mm; the female has a wing shorter than 55 mm. The birds can be aged by their plumage; juveniles look similar to adults but have fresh plumage and two dark or dark grey spots on the tongue. Cetti's warbler is unusual among passerine birds in having ten tail feathers (rectrices) rather than the usual twelve.

Distribution and habitat

Cetti's warbler usually inhabits thick shrubby vegetation in damp areas close to (but not in) ponds, lakes, marshes and rivers. It was first recorded in Ireland in 2013, with the first breeding in 2022.

Behaviour

Breeding

During the summer, the males spend most of their time establishing their territories. While doing this, they spend little amount of time caring for the eggs or young. Afterwards, the males usually attract more than one female to their territory. Their song plays an important role.

In Europe the main period for egg laying is from the middle to the end of June. The nest is placed in thick dense vegetation usually at around above the ground.

The untidy cup shaped nest is made from leaves and stems and is lined with feathers, hair and other finer material. It is built entirely by the female. The eggs are laid in the early morning at daily intervals and are chestnut red in colour. The clutch consists of 4 to 5 eggs which measure approximately . The eggs are incubated by the female beginning when the clutch is complete and hatch after 16 to 17 days. The young are mainly fed and brooded by the female. They fledge after 14 to 16 days but continue to be fed by the parents for at least another 15 days. The young become independent by 30 days. In Europe Cetti's warblers normally have two broods each year. They first breed when one year of age.

Feeding

Cetti's warbler is insectivorous, preying on arthropods such as small, soft-bodied insects and larvae. Cetti's warblers prefer tiny insects because they can digest them faster.

References

Sources

  • Xeno-canto: audio recordings of Cetti's warbler
  • Ageing and sexing (PDF; 2.9 MB) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta & Gerd-Michael Heinze
  • Oiseaux