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Dartford Warblers are small insectivore birds. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Males have a grey head, down to the ear coverts, mantle, upperwing coverts and back. On the grey sides of the head the eyes are surrounded by red orbital rings. The front, from the chin downwards, is dark vinous-red, with light-grey markings on chin and undertail coverts. The flight feathers are dark-grey with thin pale edges. Females show a brownish tinge on head and back and the front is duller vinous-red. The orbital rings are also more subdued. Both sexes have orange-brown to brown irises, a horn-coloured bill with a dark tip and yellow-brown legs and feet. Juveniles have a lot less colour contrast in their plumage, with a more greyish-brown front and a more brownish-grey back than adults.

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 Dartford Warbler is available HERE .

Dartford Warblers are a sedentary species, with only some local migration movements, of which there are three extant races Their overall distribution ranges from northern Africa (Morocco to Lybia) in the South to southern England and Wales in the North and from Iberia in the West to southern Italy in the East. Race "toni" is endemic to northern Africa.

In Europe there are two races of Dartford Warblers. Nominate race "undata" is found in Iberia, southern France, the Balearic islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and mostly near-coastal Italy. Race "dartfordiensis" is present in northern France, near-coastal Belgium and southern England.

Dartford Warblers have a preference for breeding in coastal heath, often with gorse and heather, but also in other low shrubs, usually on marginal soil.

Race "undata"