Old World Warblers (Sylviidae)

Booted Warbler (Hippolais caligata) - HBW 11, p. 635

French: Hypolaïs bottée German: Buschspötter Spanish: Zarcero Escita

Taxonomy: Sylvia caligata M. H. C. Lichtenstein, 1823, Ilek, Ural River, near Orenburg, south-west Russia.
Recent molecular-genetic studies suggest that this species and H. rama, H. opaca and H. pallida are closer to Acrocephalus than to current congeners and could be placed in a separate genus, Iduna. Was formerly regarded as conspecific with H. rama, but recent work has revealed that the two have apparently overlapping breeding ranges, and differ in mitochondrial DNA, song, habitat and morphology. Proposed race annectens (of SE Altai) is considered to be undiagnosable. Monotypic.

Distribution: Breeds W & SW Russia E to Kazakhstan (except much of W & S), extreme NW China (Dzungaria), NW Mongolia and SC Siberia (upper R Yenisey); non-breeding India.