What they like

Messy edges. Dense bramble, hawthorn and blackthorn along a path, ditch or yard. Scrub you don’t clear out every year. In the garden: let one corner go wild and plant a hedge instead of a fence. In a park or the countryside: manage in a mosaic. So: prune some parts, leave others. That way they always has cover.

Ecological importance

Mainly eats insects and spiders, later in the season also berries. That helps keep pest insects down and they spreads seeds via those berries. He is themself prey for the sparrowhawk and cats: the denser the scrub, the better his chances.

When in the Netherlands

Summer visitor. Usually from April to September. Breeds low and hidden in brambles and other thorny shrubs.

Status

Common, but vulnerable to the loss of scrub and to tight mowing and flailing of edges. Give them thorns, height and quiet.