Nest Site Selection and Nest Construction in the Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus L., 1758) (Sylviidae, Aves) in the Tajga Zone of Northwest Russia

The paper summarizes the data obtained over 50 years of research on habitat selection, nest site choice, breeding behaviour and characteristics of nests in the Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus acredula (Linnaeus, 1758) in the taiga zone of North-west Russia. In this region, Willow Warblers prefer various coniferous-deciduous forests, marshy spruce forests and spruce-pine forests while selecting their nest biotope. During nest site selection, these birds pay attention to the structure of plantings, presence of glades, clearings and other open spaces. Willow Warblers need to have free space with no barriers in front of the nest to get better visibility, reliable masking of the nest by the closest surroundings and the presence of support for the nest. Females build their nests during 4–11 days, on average 7.0±0.5 days. The construction of nests and the nest material composition are characteristic of the species as a whole. At the same time, such features of some nests as the presence of some specific material or the insufficient strength of some elements are due to peculiarities of the occupied habitats.

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