Lesser Whitethroat - BirdForum 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

There are 6 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

<flashmp3>Sylvia curruca (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Wikipedia

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Lesser Whitethroat. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Lesser_Whitethroat

External Links

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