Willow Warbler | 20 Nov 2020
Why in News
Recently, Willow Warbler has been sighted for the first time in India at Vellayani-Punchakkari paddy fields, Kerala.
- These paddy fields are a birding hotspot on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram and are known to harbour more than 213 species of birds that include both resident and migratory ones.
Key Points
- Scientific Name: Phylloscopus trochilus.
- Habitat: They breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic.
- Palearctic ecozone is one the Earth’s 8 ecozones and covers Asia north of the Himalayas, with parts of western Asia and most of East Asia and Africa north of the Sahara.
- Migration: They migrate to sub-Saharan Africa during early winter.
- Features:
- It is one of the longest migrating small birds.
- The bird weighs around 10 grams and its long wing feathers help it fly long distances.
- Warblers are generally difficult to identify owing to the small size and change in plumage twice a year. They are also the most difficult groups of birds to identify in the field for their striking resemblance to each other.
- Threats: The species is affected by drought conditions in its wintering quarters and habitat alterations due to human population expansion.
- IUCN Red List: Least Concern.