From Opus

Photo by IanF
Billingham, UK

Sylvia curruca

Identification

13cm

• Grey back
• Whitish underparts
• Grey head with a dark mask
• White throat
• Dark legs
• Dark bill

Similar Species

Photo by IanF
Billingham, UK

Greater Whitethroat

Distribution

Europe, and in western and central Asia. Accidental to Alaska with one record.

Taxonomy

Subspecies^[1]

• S. c. curruca:

• Western Europe to Caucasus and western Siberia; winters to central Africa

• S. c. blythi (affinis):

• Eastern Siberia to northern Altai and northern Mongolia

• S. c. halimodendri:

• Plains of lower Volga to eastern Kazakstan (Lake Zaysan) and western Altai

• S. c. caucasica:

• Mountains of Balkan Peninsula to western Iran and Caucasus Mountains

• S. c. telengitica:

• Deserts of Russian Altai to western and southern Mongolia

• S. c. jaxartica (snigirewskii):

• Plains of southern Transcaspia

Habitat

Open country and cultivation, with large bushes for nesting and some trees.

Behaviour

Diet

Diet includes insects, berries and other soft fruit.

Breeding

The nest is built in low shrub or brambles, and 3-7 eggs are laid.

Vocalisation

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.
2. Wikipedia

• List of references

External Links