Identification
Whitethroats are a characteristic sight of the countryside, with their jerky display flight and scratchy song. They are about the same size as a Blackcap or Garden Warbler and the males are quite distinctive with their grey heads, white throats and pink tinge to the breast. Both males and females show brown-red fringes to the wing feathers, which make them quite recognisable.

To listen to the song of the Whitethroat click here (.wav file 95Kb).

Bird song kindly supplied by Geoffrey Sample.

Status/distribution
Whitethroats occur throughout most of England and Wales, although they are absent from the highest ground of the Pennines, the Lake District, the Welsh mountains and Dartmoor. In Scotland, Whitethroats are well distributed on lower ground in the south and east, but absent from large areas of the Southern Uplands, the Highlands, most of the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. They also have quite a patchy distribution in Ireland, with gaps in the North, Southwest and in Galway and Mayo.

In spring 1969, three-quarters of the Whitethroat population failed to return to Britain and Ireland due to the effect of the Sahelian drought. The Sand Martin was also badly affected. Whitethroat numbers reached a low point in 1974, following which they stabilised at a level between a third and a half of the pre-1968 norm. Numbers crashed again in the winter of 1983/84. Since then, Whitethroats have increased and stabilised. Detailed information on Whitethroat population trends and breeding success is given on the Wider Countryside Report web pages.

Timing of migration
The first Whitethroats of the year usually arrive in early April at south coast localities. By the middle of April Whitethroats have reached most parts but they do not reach Fair Isle and Shetland until late April. Information from bird observatories suggests that Whitethroats arrive on a broad front but there may be a tendency for the species to approach from the southwest as there are peaks at Skokholm and Portland observatories. Large numbers continue to arrive throughout May.

Migration Watch Home | BTO Home | BirdWatch Ireland Home
Migration Watch is organised jointly by the BTO and BirdWatch Ireland
Contact Migration Watch    Last updated 6 May, 2004

BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford IP24 2PU UK. Registered Charity Number 216652
Terms and Conditions of Use | Privacy Statement      ©British Trust for Ornithology

Migration Watch sponsored by:
 

and in association with: