The green warbler, also known as green willow warbler or green leaf warbler, is a leaf warbler found in the Caucasus Mountains in southeastern Europe.
Region
Caucasus to South Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds in the Caucasus region, including Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and adjacent southern Russia, with small extensions into northeastern Turkey. During migration and winter it occurs widely across peninsular India and Sri Lanka. It favors deciduous and mixed montane forests, forest edges, and riparian thickets on the breeding grounds. In winter it frequents wooded gardens, groves, plantations, and secondary forest, often joining mixed-species flocks.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2200 m
Climate Zone
Other
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The green warbler is a bright leaf warbler that breeds in the Caucasus and winters in peninsular India and Sri Lanka. It was once treated as a form of the greenish warbler but is now recognized as a distinct species. Its rich, sweet song and bold yellowish supercilium help separate it from similar Phylloscopus warblers.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with agile, flitting flights
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs on the breeding grounds, where it is territorial and nests low in shrubs or on the ground in a domed cup. In winter it often joins mixed-species flocks, especially with other small insectivores. Pairs are monogamous for the season and both parents feed the young.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
A rich, sweet warble with accelerating phrases and clear trills, more musical and fuller than the similar greenish warbler. Calls are sharp, high-pitched ‘tseet’ notes used frequently while foraging.
Plumage
Bright green upperparts with clean, yellow-washed underparts and two pale wingbars; fine, neat feathering typical of leaf warblers.
Diet
Primarily small insects and their larvae, including caterpillars, aphids, and beetles. It also takes spiders and other arthropods gleaned from leaves and twigs. Occasionally sallies to catch small flying insects. During winter it may supplement with tiny berries or nectar opportunistically.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the canopy and mid-story of forests, along forest edges, and in shrubby clearings. In winter it readily uses gardens, orchards, and plantations with ample foliage.
