What they like

Small copses, shrubs, hedgerows and messy corners. The more layered greenery, the better. Plant hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, elder and bramble. Let ivy and honeysuckle grow freely. In parks: leave a scrub edge. On yards and farmsteads: make a brush pile or wood stack along the ditch. In agricultural areas: keep hedges and tree belts; don’t mow everything “neatly”.

Ecological importance

Primarily eats insects and spiders, especially during the breeding season. He clears aphids and caterpillars from among shrubs and trees. He themself is prey for the sparrowhawk and cats: dense shrubs give them a fair chance.

When in the Netherlands

Year-round. In winter often in noisy, roaming flocks. Breeds from early spring.

Status

Common breeding bird. Its numbers increase where the landscape becomes a bit rougher, greener and more varied.