Photo: peterichman / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca curruca
Lesser Whitethroat (Curruca curruca) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Lesser Whitethroat (Curruca curruca) is a member of the Sylviidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 11.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Sylviidae Sylviid Babblers
- Genus Curruca
- Species curruca
Quick facts
- Weight
- 11.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Sylviidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Lesser Whitethroat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Lesser Whitethroat is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Lesser Whitethroat (Curruca curruca) is a member of the Sylviidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL widespread.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 11.4 g, with a wing length of about 6.5 cm and a tail of around 5.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Lesser Whitethroat?
The Lesser Whitethroat is a very small bird that weighs around 11.4 g.
Where does the Lesser Whitethroat live?
The Lesser Whitethroat is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Lesser Whitethroat belong to?
The Lesser Whitethroat (Curruca curruca) belongs to the Sylviidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Lesser Whitethroat eat?
The Lesser Whitethroat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Lesser Whitethroat migrate?
The Lesser Whitethroat is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Lesser Whitethroat endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Lesser Whitethroat make?
1 real field recording of the Lesser Whitethroat — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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