Common Whitethroat

Common Whitethroat
Common Whitethroat
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Genus: Sylvia
Species: S. communis
Binomial name
Sylvia communis
Latham, 1787, England

The Common Whitethroat, Sylvia communis, is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout Europe and across much of temperate western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical Africa, Arabia and Pakistan.

This is one of several Sylvia species that has distinct male and female plumages. Both sexes are mainly brown above and buff below, with chestnut fringes to the secondary remiges. The adult male has a grey head and a white throat. The female lacks the grey head, and the throat is duller. The Whitethroat's song is fast and scratchy, with a scolding tone.

This species was believed by some[citation needed] to be closely related to the Lesser Whitethroat, the species having evolved only during the end of the last ice age similar to the Willow Warbler and Chiffchaffs. But researchers learned soon that this is not correct, and now it is known that whitethroats are unreliable morphological markers for relationships in Sylvia. Chestnut wing patches, like whitethroats, seem to be plesiomorphic, but indicate phylogeny better. Nonetheless, apart from the Whitethroat not being closely related to the Lesser Whitethroat group, little can be resolved as it seems a fairly basal taxon.(Helbig 2001, Jønsson & Fjeldså 2006)

Female with chicks

This is a bird of open country and cultivation, with bushes for nesting. The nest is built in low shrub or brambles, and 3-7 eggs are laid. Like most "warblers", it is insectivorous, but will also take berries and other soft fruit.


References

External links

 Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Whitethroat". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Common Whitethroat — rudoji devynbalsė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Sylvia communis angl. Common Whitethroat vok. Dorngrasmücke …   Paukščių anatomijos terminai

  • common whitethroat — rudoji devynbalsė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Sylvia communis angl. common whitethroat vok. Dorngrasmücke, f rus. серая славка, f pranc. fauvette grisette, f ryšiai: platesnis terminas – tikrosios devynbalsės …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • Whitethroat — White throat , n. (Zo[ o]l.) Any one of several species of Old World warblers, esp. the common European species ({Sylvia cinerea}), called also {strawsmear}, {nettlebird}, {muff}, and {whitecap}, the {garden whitethroat}, or {golden warbler}… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Whitethroat — Taxobox name = Whitethroat image width = 204px status = LC status system = iucn3.1 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves ordo = Passeriformes familia = Sylviidae genus = Sylvia species = S. communis binomial = Sylvia communis… …   Wikipedia

  • garden whitethroat — Whitethroat White throat , n. (Zo[ o]l.) Any one of several species of Old World warblers, esp. the common European species ({Sylvia cinerea}), called also {strawsmear}, {nettlebird}, {muff}, and {whitecap}, the {garden whitethroat}, or {golden… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • lesser whitethroat — Whitethroat White throat , n. (Zo[ o]l.) Any one of several species of Old World warblers, esp. the common European species ({Sylvia cinerea}), called also {strawsmear}, {nettlebird}, {muff}, and {whitecap}, the {garden whitethroat}, or {golden… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lesser Whitethroat — A Lesser Whitethroat in the Czech Republic Conservation status …   Wikipedia

  • Walton Common — Infobox SSSI name=Walton Common aos=Avon interest=Biological gridref=ST428738 area=25.5 hectare notifydate=191 http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx? ] Walton Common (gbmapping|ST428738) is a 25.5 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific …   Wikipedia

  • Sibley-Monroe checklist 16 — The Sibley Monroe checklist was a landmark document in the study of birds. It drew on extensive DNA DNA hybridisation studies to reassess the relationships between modern birds. Passeriformes (continued) =Zosteropidae= * Speirops melanocephalus… …   Wikipedia

  • List of birds of Wales — This list of birds of Wales includes every species of bird that has been recorded in a wild state in Wales. Compared to the avifauna of Britain as a whole, Wales has fewer breeding species but these include a number of moorland species such as… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”