Cettia cetti is a widespread breeder across much of southern Europe, which accounts for less than half of its global breeding range. Its European breeding population is large (>600,000 pairs), and increased between 1970-1990. Although the species declined slightly in Greece during 1990-2000, key populations in Italy and Turkey were stable, and trends were increasing or stable across the rest of its European range. The species hence underwent a small increase overall, and consequently is evaluated as Secure.

In lower middle latitudes of west Palearctic, in temperate, Mediterranean, steppe, and some desert zones. Lives basically in warm situations where thick shelter normally enables survival throughout year, even though occasional severe winters inflict heavy mortality, and emigration may be enforced from northern fringes. Since 1920 this species has successfully expanded over cooler oceanic lowlands fronting Bay of Biscay, English Channel, and North Sea, with winter temperatures liable to fall below 0 Celcius.

Breeds Mid to end June in West and South-West Europe, including Britain, Greece and Southern Russia. Nest site is built in thick vegetation supported on stems of reed or nettle among twigs, or occasionally in stouter branches of dense tangled scrub. Nest, bulky, untidy cup, with base of leaves and stems, finer stems and roots above, lined with feathers, hair, reed flowers, and other fine material. 4-5 eggs are laid, incubation 16 days, by female only.

Chiefly insects, also other invertebrates, taken mostly from or near ground. Diet not uncommonly includes aquatic invertebrates, perhaps more often in winter, presumably taken from water's edge or by reaching down to surface from raise stems, etc.

This species has a large range, with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 1,000,000-10,000,000 km². It has a large global population, including an estimated 1,200,000-3,300,000 individuals in Europe (BirdLife International in prep.). Global population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

North east populations winter locally s to s Afghanistan, Pakistan and nw India. (Sibley Charles G. 1996) . Rare vagrant in W Europe

article number 1 Title
Low prevalence of infection by H moparasites in Cetti' s Warblers Certia cetti from central Spain.
Author(s): Merino,S., Seoane, J., de la Puente, J., Bermejo, A.
Abstract: [...]. Here we studied the prevalence, age distribution of infected individuals and time of infection by blood parasites in Cetti´s Warblers Cettia cetti. [...]...[more]..
Source: Ardeola 47(2), 2000, 269-271
download full text (pdf)