Old World Warblers (Sylviidae)

Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) - HBW 11, p. 695

French: Fauvette babillarde German: Klappergrasmücke Spanish: Curruca Zarcerilla
Other common names: Grey Whitethroat

Taxonomy: Motacilla Curruca Linnaeus, 1758, south Sweden.
Systematics of this species and S. minula and S. althaea controversial. All three traditionally considered conspecific, but recent exhaustive phenotypic and genetic studies suggest that they should be treated as separate species, differing not only genetically but also vocally and in size (but less markedly in plumage); in parts of Asia where they breed very close to each other, they are segregated ecologically and altitudinally. The three appear to form a highly distinct clade (S. hortensis and S. leucomelaena being their closest relatives). Geographical variation within present species largely clinal, race halimodendri intergrading widely with nominate in S Siberia. Proposed races blythi (from N Siberia), caucasica (Turkey, Caucasus and N Iran) and zagrossiensis (SW Iran) are largely inseparable from, and therefore synonymized with, nominate; similarly, telengitica (Russian Altai and Mongolia) is included within halimodendri. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

curruca (Linnaeus, 1758) - breeds Europe (E from S Fennoscandia, Britain and N, C & SE France) E to Transbaikalia, S to N Italy, Balkans, Asia Minor, Levant, N & SW Iran and S Siberia; non-breeding Africa and S Asia.
halimodendri Sushkin, 1904 - breeds Kazakhstan (from lower Volga) E to Mongolia; non-breeding S Asia.