Family Old World Warblers and Parrotbills (Sylviidae)
Least Concern
Menetries's Warbler (Sylvia mystacea)
Taxonomy
French: Fauvette de Ménétries German: Tamariskengrasmücke Spanish: Curruca de Ménétries
Taxonomy:
Sylvia mystacea
Ménétries
, 1832,Sal’yana, lower Kura River, Azerbaijan
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Subspecies and Distribution
S. m. mystacea
Ménétries, 1832 – lower R Volga S to E Turkey, SE Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and N Iran; non-breeding S to Arabia and NE Africa.
S. m. turcmenica
Zarudny & Bilkevich, 1918 – S Turkmenistan and NE Iran, and from S Kazakhstan, C & E Uzbekistan and W Tajikistan S to N Afghanistan, also W Pakistan (NW Baluchistan); non-breeding S to Arabia and NE Africa.
S. m. rubescens
Blanford, 1874 – SE Turkey S to Syria and C Lebanon#R and E to Iraq and SW Iran; non-breeding S to Arabia and NE Africa.
Descriptive notes
13 cm; 7–11·5 g. Rather small warbler with moderately long tail and relatively long and pointed wings. Male nominate race breeding has forehead, crown and ear-... read more
Voice
Song, from bush perch or in flight, also often well-hidden within cover, a rather long (c. 2–... read more
Habitat
Breeds in arid or semi-arid areas dominated by scrub and bush from sea-level (Caspian Sea) to... read more
Food and feeding
Mostly small arthropods, especially insects and their larvae and eggs; outside breeding season, also various berries and fruits (mostly... read more
Breeding
Season early Apr to Jul; usually one brood, two in some areas (e.g. Pamir-Alai); in Kura lowland (Azerbaijan), first brood fledges from... read more
Movements
Migratory. Winters S & SW of breeding range, from Sinai Peninsula and NE African Red Sea coast... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Common in parts of range. Data on population sizes and densities very sparse for most areas. Population in European part of range (Transcaucasia,... read more
Geographical variation at least partly clinal; nominate race grades into turcmenica in N Iran, but evidence for intergradation otherwise scant or not conclusive. Three subspecies recognized.