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Old World Warblers (Sylviidae)

Menetries's Warbler (Sylvia mystacea) - HBW 11, p. 705

French: Fauvette de Ménétries German: Tamariskengrasmücke Spanish: Curruca de Menetries

Taxonomy: Sylvia mystacea Ménétries, 1832, Sal’yana, lower Kura River, Azerbaijan.
Sometimes considered to form a superspecies with, or even as conspecific with, S. melanocephala owing to resemblance between race momus of latter and nominate race of present species; also, sometimes regarded as a race of S. cantillans, because race rubescens is similar to that species; phenotypically and genetically, however, the three are very different. All are part of a group that also contains S. undata, S. sarda, S. balearica, S. deserticola, S. conspicillata, S. rueppelli and S. melanothorax. Geographical vari.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Sylvia mystacea Ménétries, 1832, Sal’yana, lower Kura River, Azerbaijan.
Sometimes considered to form a superspecies with, or even as conspecific with, S. melanocephala owing to resemblance between race momus of latter and nominate race of present species; also, sometimes regarded as a race of S. cantillans, because race rubescens is similar to that species; phenotypically and genetically, however, the three are very different. All are part of a group that also contains S. undata, S. sarda, S. balearica, S. deserticola, S. conspicillata, S. rueppelli and S. melanothorax. 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.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • mystacea Ménétries, 1832 - breeds lower R Volga S to E Turkey, SE Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and N Iran; non-breeding S to Arabia and NE Africa.
  • turcmenica Zarudny & Bilkevich, 1918 - breeds 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.
  • rubescens Blanford, 1874 - breeds from SE Turkey S to N Syria, Iraq and W Iran; non-breeding S to Arabia and NE Africa.

Photos

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