What they like

Plant native shrubs and trees that teem with life: willow, birch, hawthorn, hazel. Leave nettles, cow parsley and brambles to grow in a scruffy corner. Not a tidy paved desert, but layered greenery: low shrubs, a few taller trees, a strip of rough grass. Don’t use pesticides — the more insects, the more willow warblers. And mow in stages, so there’s always somewhere teeming with life.

Ecological importance

The willow warbler is a slender insect hunter. It plucks caterpillars, flies and beetles from leaves and branches. In doing so it helps keep insect populations in balance. It in turn is on the menu for sparrowhawks and other birds of prey. Small bird, big link in the web.

When in the Netherlands

Summer visitor and breeding bird (Apr–Sep). Winters in sub‑Saharan Africa.

Status

Protected native species. Not on the Red List, but numbers show a slight long‑term decline, mainly due to changes in the landscape and insect populations. More biodiverse green helps.