Barred Warbler

Curruca nisoria

Introduction

Barred Warbler is a large grey warbler that breeds in open country in eastern Europe and Asia. The species is a regular visitor to eastern Britain in autumn but quite rare in spring.

Key Stats

Rare

25g

4-5

<1%

BTO Records

11k records

Population and distribution stats for:

No data

No current data

No current data

No data

No current data

% expansion

Status and Trends

Population size, trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO and partnership surveys and atlasses with data collected by BTO volunteers.

Conservation Status

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This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

Species of European Conservation Concern

Least Concern

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)

Least Concern

Schedule 1 Licence required (to disturb)*

Birds Directive Annex 1

Yes

Listed on the Annexes of*

WBD(I), Bern(III), Bonn(II)

* A guide only. Check details with the original legislation, especially those marked with an asterisk. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Size

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BOU Category

Source

First Record*

Cambridgeshire, 1839

* First documented occurrence. Most species undoubtedly occurred before this. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Change

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Barred Warbler is a scarce passage migrant in the UK, seen almost exclusively in the autumn [Parkin & Knox 2010]. There are approximately 1–200 records per year, but no trend is available for this species [White & Kehoe 2024].

Distribution

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This species is a rare vagrant and was recorded during Bird Atlas 2007–11 as shown on the map.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

These figures come from Bird Atlas 2007 and indicate how widespread a species is.

No. occupied in winter

% occupied in winter

0.4%

Bird Atlas distribution maps show where bird species breed or winter in Britain and Ireland. For breeding maps, larger dots indicate higher certainty the species bred in that area.

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Breeding Distribution for Barred Warbler

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

To view and download up-to-date distribution information aggregated from across BTO and partnership surveys and schemes, see our data holdings on the NBN Atlas.

European Distribution Map

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2

Distribution Change

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This vagrant is too rarely reported to map distribution change.

Seasonality

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Barred Warbler is a scarce autumn passage migrant, with records mostly from mid August to October, though some late birds have been recorded into December.

Weekly pattern of occurrence

The graph shows when the species is present in the UK, with taller bars indicating a higher likelihood of encountering the species in appropriate regions and habitats.

Phenology graph — Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.

Movement

Information about Barred Warbler movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

Britain & Ireland movement

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View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

Dots show the foreign destinations of birds ringed in Britain & Ireland, and the origins of birds ringed overseas that were subsequently recaptured, resighted or found dead in Britain & Ireland. Dot colours indicate the time of year that the species was present at the location.

Winter (Nov-Feb)
Spring (Mar-Apr)
Summer (May-Jul)
Autumn (Aug-Oct)

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

European movements

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EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

The Eurasian-African Migration Atlas shows movements of individual birds ringed or recovered in Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for Barred Warbler, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Productivity and Nesting

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Nesting timing

Typical (exceptional) number of broods

Source

Egg measurements

Typical length x width

21x16 mm

Mass (% shell)

2.6g (6%)

Source

Clutch Size

Typical number

5-4 eggs

Observed minimum and maximum

2-6 eggs

Source

Incubation

Incubation by

Male + Female

Typical duration

13-12 days

Source

Fledging

Type of chick

Altricial, naked

Typical duration

12-10 days

Source

Survival and Longevity

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Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report.

lifespan

Typical life expectancy of bird reaching breeding age

2 years with breeding typically at 1 year

Survival of adults

All adults

0.39

Females

0.31

Males

0.47

Source

Biometrics

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Wing length and body weights are from live birds (source).

Wing length

Average ±1 std deviation; range and sample size in brackets.

Juvenile

88.2±2.2 mm

(85-92 mm, N=164)

Body weight

Average ±1 std deviation; range and sample size in brackets.

Juvenile

88.2±2.2 mm

(85-92 mm, N=164)

Ring Size

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for Barred Warbler

Classification and Codes

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Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Scientific name: Curruca nisoria
Authority: Bechstein, 1792

BTO 2-letter code: RR
BTO 5-letter code: BARWA
Euring code number: 12730

Alternate species names

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Catalan: tallarol esparverenc
Czech: penice vlašská
Danish: Høgesanger
Dutch: Sperwergrasmus
Estonian: vööt-põõsalind
Finnish: kirjokerttu
French: Fauvette épervière
Gaelic: Ceileiriche-srianach

German: Sperbergrasmücke
Hungarian: karvalyposzáta
Icelandic: Hauksöngvari
Irish: Ceolaire Barrach
Italian: Bigia padovana
Latvian: svitrainais kaukis
Lithuanian: raiboji devynbalse
Norwegian: Hauksanger

Polish: jarzebatka
Portuguese: toutinegra-barrada
Slovak: penica jarabá
Slovenian: pisana penica
Spanish: Curruca gavilana
Swedish: höksångare
Welsh: Telor Rhesog

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.

BTO

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

JNCC

RSPB

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