Scientific name: Sylvia borin – Sylvia is associated with woodland, borin is possibly derived from an association with oxen.
The ultimate ‘Little Brown Job’, the Garden Warbler has no distinguishing features to help with ID. It belongs to the Sylvia group of warblers so is in the same family as Blackcap and Whitethroat. In Guernsey, it has not fared so well as these other species. Single individuals are recorded in spring and autumn as they pass through the island, but days when ten have been seen at a single site site have long gone: six were recorded at Le Chêne in the Forest in August, 2003. It is quite possible that they are under-recorded as theyare not the flashiest of birds.
Local Habitat: deciduous woodland, with layers of dense shrub or scrub. – not gardens unless they have a suitably mature, wooded area! La Grande Mare, Pleinmont.
Diet: Late spring/summer – invertebrates – caterpillars, worms. In the autumn, they feed on berries and fruits.
Distribution: Breeds in Europe; winters in Africa, south of the Sahara.
Guernsey migration dates: typically early April to mid-May; early August to early October
Natural history of the Bailiwick of Guernsey 