Warble UK
Garden Warbler
Photo: Biillyboy / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Birds / Warblers

Garden Warbler

Sylvia borin
Uncommon Summer visitor Woodland
Test yourself

Recording: Mathias Ritschard / xeno-canto

Sounds like

A long, even, mellow warble that flows on like a brook, without the blackcap's loud finish.

Remember it

Like a blackcap that never reaches the chorus. Despite the name, rarely in gardens.

When and where

Listening for the garden warbler

Heard
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Apr to Jul
Time of day
Dawn and Day
Where
Woodland
In Britain
Summer visitor
Family
Warblers

Side by side

Often confused with

Play them one after the other and listen for the difference.

Garden Warbler

Garden Warbler

Sylvia borin
JFMAMJJASOND

Like a blackcap that never reaches the chorus. Despite the name, rarely in gardens.

Blackcap

Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla
JFMAMJJASOND

Starts by mumbling, ends by shouting. Old country name: the 'mock nightingale'.

Could you pick out a garden warbler?

Hear a song, choose from four birds, and build your streak.

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Same habitat

Also in woodland

See all
Blackbird

Blackbird

Turdus merula
JFMAMJJASOND

Slow, rich, fluting phrases that wander about and often trail off into a quiet chuckle.

Blue Tit

Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus
JFMAMJJASOND

Two or three thin, high notes followed by a fast, shimmering trill: 'tsee-tsee-tsuhuhuhu'.

Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs
JFMAMJJASOND

A cheerful, accelerating run of notes that tumbles down and ends in a flourish, repeated over and over.

Coal Tit

Coal Tit

Periparus ater
JFMAMJJASOND

A fast, high, two-note phrase repeated several times: 'pitchoo-pitchoo-pitchoo'.