Old World Warblers (Sylviidae)
Greater Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) - HBW 11, p. 698
French: Fauvette grisette
German: Dorngrasmücke
Spanish: Curruca Zarcera
Other common names: (Greater) Whitethroat
Taxonomy: Sylvia communis Latham, 1787, Kent, England.
Studies suggest that this is sister-species of the group formed by typical Mediterranean congeners (S. undata, S. sarda, S. balearica, S. deserticola, S. conspicillata, S. cantillans, S. melanocephala, S. mystacea, S. rueppelli, S. melanothorax). 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.. View all taxonomy...
Studies suggest that this is sister-species of the group formed by typical Mediterranean congeners (S. undata, S. sarda, S. balearica, S. deserticola, S. conspicillata, S. cantillans, S. melanocephala, S. mystacea, S. rueppelli, S. melanothorax). 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 United Kingdom, except SE England), cinerea (Scandinavia, Germany S to N Greece) and hoyeri (E from E Poland) synonymized with nominate, and traudeli (E Asia Minor) included within icterops. Four subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- communis Latham, 1787 - breeds Europe (E to N European Russia and Ukraine), N Turkey and NW Africa; non-breeding mainly W & C Africa.
- volgensis Domaniewski, 1915 - breeds SE European Russia E to SW Siberia and N Kazakhstan; non-breeding quarters poorly known.
- icterops Ménétries, 1832 - breeds Turkey, Levant, Caucasus, Transcaucasia, and N Iran E to Turkmenistan; non-breeding E & S Africa.
- rubicola Stresemann, 1928 - breeds C Asian mountains, from Russian Altai S to SE Uzbekistan and E to N Mongolia and S Transbaikalia; non-breeding E & S Africa.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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Alarm calls of an adult with young nearby Locality Rainham, Essex, England, Great Britain
(ssp communis)
Stuart Fisher 18 July 2009 3 years ago 4.5 -
A singing male Locality Send, Surrey, England, Great Britain
(ssp communis)
Stuart Fisher 3 years ago 4.3 -
Click to play
A male alarming, black-headed gull background Locality Lindoya Island, Oslo Fjord, Oslo & Akershus, Norway
(ssp communis)
Eric Roualet 18 June 2009 20 weeks ago 4 -
Song of a bird building the nest.
Locality Izmailovsky Park, Moscow, Western Russia, Russia
(ssp communis)
Josep del Hoyo 2 June 2009 2 years ago 4 -
Song of a male Locality Lampertheim, Hesse, Germany
(ssp communis)
Claus Fischer 8 July 2010 2 years ago 4 -
Calls of a male Locality Chobham, Surrey, England, Great Britain
(ssp communis)
Stuart Fisher 20 April 2005 3 years ago 4 -
Alarm calls of an adult and 2 juveniles perched and then flying away Locality Send, Surrey, England, Great Britain
(ssp communis)
Stuart Fisher 25 July 2009 3 years ago 3.7 -
A male singing. Locality Tofte Skov og Mose Reserve, Lille Vildmose, North Denmark Region, Denmark
(ssp communis)
Josep del Hoyo 28 May 2011 1 year ago 3.6
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