Ecology and Status
This small "warbler" species breeds in heathlands, sometimes near coasts, with gorse bushes for nesting. Like its relatives, the Dartford Warbler is insectivorous, but will also take berries. The nest is built in low shrub, and 3-6 eggs are laid. It inhabits open fields with Jara and degraded scrub brush. Common in heather. In winter may be coming to urban solitary areas, but always it find shrubs in these areas. This shy warblers avoiding to the people. Nests in bushes with thorns and near the ground.
The species is naturally rare. The largest European populations of Sylvia undata focus on Iberian peninsula, and less in large part of France in Italy and southern England. In Africa can be found only in small areas in the north, being present as wintering in northern Morocco and northern Algeria. These warblers are mostly insectivore, feeding caterpillars, butterflys, beetles, Spiders and larvas, etc.
Dartford Warblers are named for Dartford Heath in north west Kent, where the population became extinct in the early 20th century. They almost died out in the United Kingdom in the severe winter of 1962/1963 when the national population dropped to just 10 pairs. However, this species can recover well in good quality habitat, thanks to repeated nesting and a high survival rate for the young. Indeed they recovered in some areas of the UK, but numbers are once again on the decline in other regions of that country, as well as elsewhere.
Formerly classified as a 'Species of Least Concern' by the IUCN, it was suspected to be rarer than generally assumed. Following the investigation of the apparent decline this was confirmed, and the Dartford Warbler was consequently uplisted to Near Threatened status in 2008.
Read more about this topic: Dartford Warbler
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