Beta
The Dartford Warbler
The Dartford Warbler is a small, dark brown bird, with a long tail. It was once called a “furze wren” and in size, is similar to a robin. It has a distinctive red eye ring and an orange-red breast. It can often be spotted perched on gorse, singing its scratchy song. This ground-nesting bird lays from 3 to 5 eggs, and may have three broods from April to September.
The Dartford Warbler lives amongst the heathers and gorse of Horsell Common. The gorse - dense and prickly - offers protection in winter and is a source of food too, harbouring insects and spiders.
This bird is a protected species - its numbers were decimated in the cold winters of the 1960s, with as few as 10 breeding pairs surviving. Today, there are around 3,200 pairs nesting on lowland heaths, mainly in the Southeast of England.
Please help HCPS to protect these birds by staying on the paths and keeping dogs on leads in heathland areas during the breeding season, March to September.
Visit HCPS's website to learn more.
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