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Western Bonelli's Warbler (Phylloscopus bonelli) German name(s): "Berglaubsänger" Size: 11-12 cm; wing span 16-19 cm Body mass: 5-10.5 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.11-0.13

Europe: Family Group 17 Family Group 17 Table Dunnock Alpine Accentor Goldcrest Common Firecrest Madeira Firecrest Eurasian Wren Willow Warbler Common Chiffchaff Iberian Chiffchaff Arctic Warbler Yellow-barred Warbler Wood Warbler Western Bonelli's Warbler Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Western Bonelli's Warblers are very small leaf warblers. Both sexes look alike. Their plumage is quite nondescript, with an entirely pale-grey front and brownish-grey head and back. The pale lores extend into pale supercilia that connect with equally pale eye-rings. Only the yellowish leading edges of the flight feathers and the outer tail feathers provide some colour contrast. The irises are dark-brown; the bill is pinkish pale, with a darker, greyish upper mandible. Legs and feet are grey. Twitcher's tip The Western Bonelli's Warbler is the palest and greyest of the Eurasian Phylloscopus leaf warblers. Direct comparison of the primary projection of Common Chiffchaff (top), Western Bonelli's Warbler (centre) and Wood Warbler (bottom)

Taxonomy, classification See Western Bonelli's Warbler at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information The Western Bonelli's Warbler is no longer considered to be conspecific with the Eastern Bonelli's Warbler, which is now called "Phylloscopus orientalis" (not described on these pages).

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Western Bonelli's Warbler is available HERE . The Western Bonelli's Warbler is a migratory species. Their wintering grounds are in western sub-Saharan Africa, in an area spanning from Mauretania in the West to the Chad in the East. They breed in (near-)coastal North-west Africa and in southern, south-western to southern central Europe. In Europe Western Bonelli's Warblers are summer breeding migrants. They are found primarily in Iberia and in much of France, and also on the Balearic Islands, Sardinia, Corsica and in much of Italy, except the southern-most part, and along the eastern Adriatic coastline. There are also occasional reports from the Benelux countries, far western Germany and southern England. Farther to the North and East they are vagrants. Western Bonelli's Warblers breed in low-altitude woods with undergrowth in the North of their range, whereas in the southern parts they prefer mountain slopes with oak and pine forest.

Sightings Click here for sighting information J. Pires reports finding Western Bonelli's Warblers occasionally in and around Mora, Evora, Portugal. All sighting and photographic information presented on this page has kindly been contributed by J. Pires.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Western Bonelli's Warbler (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2023]

Frontal view of a Western Bonelli's Warbler looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2023]

Near-frontal view of a Western Bonelli's Warbler (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2023]

Near-lateral view of a Western Bonelli's Warbler (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2023]

Near-lateral view of a Western Bonelli's Warbler (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]

Lateral view of a Western Bonelli's Warbler (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2025]

Lateral view of a Western Bonelli's Warbler (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2023]

Lateral view of a Western Bonelli's Warbler (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2023]

Lateral view of a Western Bonelli's Warbler (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2025]

Lateral view of a moulting Western Bonelli's Warbler (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Western Bonelli's Warbler (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2025]

Near-dorsal view of a Western Bonelli's Warbler (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]

Dorsal view of a Western Bonelli's Warbler (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2023]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile Western Bonelli's Warbler - note the all pinkish-orange bill (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, July 2014]

Frontal view of a juvenile Western Bonelli's Warbler (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, July 2014]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Western Bonelli's Warbler (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, July 2014]

Lateral view of a juvenile Western Bonelli's Warbler (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, July 2014]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

wbonwrb_jp_20240627.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact call?	© JP
wbonwrb_jp_20240713.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact call?	© JP
wbonwrb_jp_20250213.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact calls?	© JP
wbonwrb_jp_20230514.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact calls (Q&A)?	© JP
wbonwrb_jp_20230515.m4a	(Portugal)	Various (+ others in bkgd)	© JP

More Western Bonelli's Warbler sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.