It is a small bird with a blue-grey back and reddish under-parts. The female is drabber than the male but both sexes can be recognised by dark red eye rings, orange legs, white flecks on their throat and a pale coloured belly.
The Dartford warbler is characteristic of the New Forest heathland and lives in areas of gorse throughout the year. The New Forest is one of the best places in the UK to see Dartford warblers. They are hard to spot though as they often skulk in the vegetation!
It is often seen perching on vegetation with its long, dark tail cocked, or bobbing between bushes in an undulating flight pattern. It uses the tall vegetation to hide in and to catch its prey.
Omnivore - The Dartford warbler eats small beetles, caterpillars and flies. It also eats blackberries in autumn.
Dartford warblers are affected by severe winters and the population crashed to only a few pairs in the 1960s. Overall numbers have risen in recent years due to warmer winters but there are some signs of decline again recently which suggests other factors are also of concern. These include the fragmentation of their heathland habitat by development and human impacts, such as wildfires.