Breeds from upper Ob and western Altai in Siberia east to Anadyr region and Sakhalin island, south to eastern Himalayas and central and north-east China. Accidental recordings in Britain, Channel Islands, Ireland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden (possibly annual), Finland (annual), Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Malta, Greece, Russia (Leningrad region), Cyprus, Israel, Egypt, Morocco, Madeira.

Breeds in continental east Palearctic from boreal to warm temperate zone, from lowland plains and marshy river valleys in north to uplands and mountains further south, at altitudes of 500-3900 m. Mainly found in shrub layers of open forest, in regrowth after fires, in willow beds along river and stream banks, and in upland thickets of dwarf birch.

The nest is built low in a bush, and 5-6 eggs are laid.

Mainly invertebrates, forages mostly by picking from ground.

This species has a large range, with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 1,000,000-10,000,000 km². The global population size has not been quantified, but it is believed to be large as the species is described as 'frequent' in at least parts of its range (Baker 1997). 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.

Altitudinal and long-distance migrant. Northern populations winter from northern India and Nepal, east to southern China, Taiwan, Indochina, and Thailand. Autumn vagrancy to western Europe, resulting from reverse migration or westward displacement in anti-cyclonic conditions, is widespread in small numbers. In Britain and Ireland, 47 records 1958-85; 45 between late September and November (one 18 August); bird recorded Isle of Man 14 May 1970 (recovered in Limerick, south-west Ireland, 5 December 1970), had probably wintered in western Europe. Record influx 1987: e.g. 17 Britain and Ireland, 10 Denmark, 6 Netherlands.

article number 1 Title
Polygyny in the dusky warbler, Phylloscopus fuscatus: the importance of female qualities
Author(s): Wolfgang Forstmeier, Dries P. J. Kuijper & Bernd Leisler
Abstract: The polygyny threshold model states that secondary females gain benefits from high territory quality that outweigh the costs of sharing a male. We aimed to test this prediction using the dusky warble..[more]..
Source: ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, 2001, 62, 1097-1108
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article number 2 Title
WHY MATED DUSKYWARBLERS SING SO MUCH: TERRITORY GUARDING AND MALE QUALITY ANNOUNCEMENT
Author(s): WOLFGANG FORSTMEIER and THORSTEN J.S. BALSBY
Abstract: The fertility announcement hypothesis states that males sing most intensively during the period of female fertility in order to assure their paternity, as females would prefer to sexually mate with ..[more]..
Source: Behaviour 139, 89-111
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