The Common Whitethroat nests in open, scrubby country. The nest is a sparse, cup-shaped construction of grass stems and rootlets, placed low in a dense bush, preferably in thorny thickets of dog rose, blackthorn or bramble — which has given the species its Swedish name. The female normally lays 4–5 eggs, and both parents share in the incubation, which lasts about 11–13 days. The young are fed by the parents and leave the nest after only about ten to twelve days, often before they are fully able to fly.