Best time to see: all year
Key facts
Small brown bird typical of open rough dry grassland
Habitat: open locations with enough coarse vegetation for nesting, especially coast and estuary
Resident, widespread and common in coastal areas but declining inland
Recognition
Buff breast and white belly with dense streaking, white outer tail; 14–15 cm
Perches openly on hedges and fences, flying to ground and walking about, feeding on insects
Territorial song flight in spring and summer is an accelerating trill as they climb up then glide downwards
Lifecycle
Nest is a grass cup lined with hair, on the ground in coarse vegetation
Usually 2 broods of 3–5 eggs, variable in colour, late April to June
Many winter in France or Spain
© Alan Williams