Family Old World Warblers and Parrotbills (Sylviidae)
Least Concern
Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)
Taxonomy
French: Fauvette grisette German: Dorngrasmücke Spanish: Curruca zarcera
Other common names:
Greater Whitethroat
Taxonomy:
Sylvia communis
Latham
, 1787,Kent, England
.
Subspecies and Distribution
S. c. communis
Latham, 1787 – Western Greater Whitethroat – Europe (E to N European Russia and Ukraine), N Turkey and NW Africa; winters mainly in W & C Africa.
S. c. volgensis
Domaniewski, 1915 – SE European Russia E to SW Siberia and N Kazakhstan; non-breeding quarters poorly known, probably NC & E Africa.
S. c. icterops
Ménétries, 1832 – Eastern Greater Whitethroat – Turkey, Levant, Caucasus, Transcaucasia, and N Iran E to Turkmenistan; non-breeding visitor to E & S Africa.
S. c. rubicola
Stresemann, 1928 – C Asian mountains, from Russian Altai S to SE Uzbekistan and E to N Mongolia and S Transbaikalia; non-breeding visitor to E & S Africa.
Descriptive notes
14 cm; 14–17 g. A medium-sized Sylvia, quite slim, with rather large head and long tail, and moderately long wings with noticeable rufous wingpanel. Male... read more
Voice
Song, from dense cover, open perch or in flight, variable and complex (up to three types of song... read more
Habitat
Open country in wide variety of landscapes, mostly sunlit areas with scattered bushes and shrubs... read more
Food and feeding
Well known; detailed studies based on analyses of both stomach contents and collar-samples carried out mostly in Europe. Invertebrates... read more
Breeding
Mostly Apr–Jul, starting later in N Europe, and precise timing varies markedly with altitude; generally one clutch per season, but... read more
Movements
Migratory. All populations spend non-breeding season in sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal E to Sudan... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Common. Recent estimates put European population at more than 14,000,000 breeding pairs, and considered largely stable in period 1970–1990,... read more
Geographical variation largely clinal, but races form two rather well-differentiated groups: NW group contains nominate race and volgensis, which intergrade widely in E Europe, and SE group comprises icterops and rubicola; groups intergrade in SE Europe, Turkey, Caucasus and Altai. Proposed races jordansi (from British Is except SE & E England), cinerea (Scandinavia, Germany S to N Greece) and hoyeri (E from E Poland) synonymized with nominate, and traudeli (E Asia Minor) included in icterops. Four subspecies recognized.