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Thrushes (Turdidae)

European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) - HBW 10, p. 753

French: Rougegorge familier German: Rotkehlchen Spanish: Petirrojo Europeo
Other common names: Robin, Robin Redbreast, Redbreast

Taxonomy: Motacilla Rubecula Linnaeus, 1758, Europe = Sweden.
It has been suggested that Canary Is race superbus merits treatment as a separate species, with birds on Gran Canaria proposed as a separate race (“marionae”) on grounds of considerable genetic isolation; this species status, however, is based on very minor levels of differentiation, and taxonomic distinction between the two populations probably not justified without confirmatory differences in morphological characters. Geographical variation extremely slight, with considerable intergradation among W races; valens and caucasicus sometimes merged with hyrcanu.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Motacilla Rubecula Linnaeus, 1758, Europe = Sweden.
It has been suggested that Canary Is race superbus merits treatment as a separate species, with birds on Gran Canaria proposed as a separate race (“marionae”) on grounds of considerable genetic isolation; this species status, however, is based on very minor levels of differentiation, and taxonomic distinction between the two populations probably not justified without confirmatory differences in morphological characters. Geographical variation extremely slight, with considerable intergradation among W races; valens and caucasicus sometimes merged with hyrcanus. Other described races are armoricanus (described from NW France), sardus (Sardinia) and balcanicus (W Turkey), all synonymized with nominate. Eight subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • melophilus Hartert, 1901 - British Is; non-breeding also SW Europe.
  • rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) - Continental Europe E to Ural Mts and W Asia Minor, also islands in E Atlantic (Azores, Madeira, W Canary Is) and NW Morocco; non-breeding W & S Europe and NE Africa.
  • tataricus Grote, 1928 - Urals and SW Siberia; non-breeding SW Asia.

     See all 8 subspecies
  • melophilus Hartert, 1901 - British Is; non-breeding also SW Europe.
  • rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) - Continental Europe E to Ural Mts and W Asia Minor, also islands in E Atlantic (Azores, Madeira, W Canary Is) and NW Morocco; non-breeding W & S Europe and NE Africa.
  • tataricus Grote, 1928 - Urals and SW Siberia; non-breeding SW Asia.
  • superbus Koenig, 1889 - C Canary Is (Tenerife, Gran Canaria).
  • witherbyi Hartert, 1910 - N Algeria and N Tunisia.
  • valens Portenko, 1954 - S Crimea.
  • caucasicus Buturlin, 1907 - E Turkey and Caucasus area; non-breeding also Middle East.
  • hyrcanus Blanford, 1874 - SE Azerbaijan and N Iran; non-breeding also Middle East.
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