From Opus

Photo by scottishdude
Photo taken: Lesvos

Sylvia cantillans

[edit] Identification

12cm
Adult male

• Grey back and head
• Brick-red underparts
• White malar streaks

Female has mainly brown upperparts with a greyer head. Whitish below with a pink flush.

[edit] Distribution

Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia
Scandinavia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, The Netherlands, France, Portugal, Spain, Ibiza, Mallorca, Canary Islands, Gran Canaria, Gibraltar, Andorra, Switzerland, Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, Slovenia, Croatia, Yugoslavia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Crete, Corfu, Lesvos, Rhodes, Malta, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova
Northern Africa: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Western Sahara, Libya, Egypt
Western Africa: Mauritania, Senegambia, Senegal, The Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti
Middle East: Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, Yemen
Asia: Russia

Vagrants regularly arrive in the British Isles, particularly in the Spring.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

• S. c. cantillans: Western Subalpine Warbler

• Mainly coastal and continental Europe, from Iberia east to Italy

• S. c. moltonii: Moltoni's (Subalpine) Warbler

• Western Mediterranean islands, including Balearics, Corsica, Sardinia

• S. c. inornata:

• Morocco to Tunisia and possibly north-western Libya; winters Senegal to western Niger

• S. c. albistriata: Eastern Subalpine Warbler

• Balkan Peninsula to western Turkey; winters Sahara oases and Arabia

[edit] Habitat

Breeds in a variety of habitats, from open woodland to bushes and sandy heaths.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

The nest is built in thick bushes. Three to five eggs are laid.

[edit] Diet

Mainly insects, but will eat berries on occasion.

[edit] Vocalisation

Call: similar to Lesser Whitethroat's tett
Song: Clear and slow chattering and bouncy phrases, reminiscent of Eurasian Linnet. Delivered in 'song flight' or from a bush.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Avibase
3. Wikipedia
4. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
5. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6

[edit] External Links