Canary Islands Chiffchaff

Taxobox
name = Canary Islands Chiffchaff
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
familia = Phylloscopidae
genus = "Phylloscopus"
species = "P. canariensis"
binomial = "Phylloscopus canariensis"
binomial_authority = (Hartwig, 1886)
subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
subdivision =
* "Phylloscopus canariensis canariensis" Taxobox_authority | author = Hartwig | date = 1886 Western Canary Islands Chiffchaff
* "Phylloscopus canariensis exsul" Taxobox_authority | author = Hartert | date = 1907 Eastern Canary Islands Chiffchaff (extinct, 1986?)

The Canary Islands Chiffchaff ("Phylloscopus canariensis") is a species of leaf warbler endemic to the Canary Islands, Spain.

Taxonomy

Previously the Canary Island Chiffchaff was considered as a subspecies of the Common Chiffchaff ("Phylloscopus collybita"). Now it is recognised as a separate species under the name "Phylloscopus canariensis" (Clement & Helbig, 1998; Sangster "et al.", 2001) for the following reasons (compared to the Common Chiffchaff) (Helbig "et al.", 1996):
* Smaller in size
* Shorter wings
* Wings rounder
* Vocalizations different
* mtDNA sequence divergence

Subspecies

* Western Canary Islands Chiffchaff: Western Canary Islands: El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife, and Gran Canaria.
* Eastern Canary Islands Chiffchaff: Eastern Canary Islands: Lanzarote and possibly Fuerteventura.

References

* Clement, P. & Helbig, A. J. (1998): Taxonomy and identification of chiffchaffs in the Western Palearctic. "Brit. Birds" 91: 361–376.

* Helbig, A. J.; Martens, J.; Seibold, I.; Henning, F.; Schottler, B. & Wink, M. (1996): Phylogeny and species limits in the Palearctic Chiffchaff "Phylloscopus collybita" complex: mitochondrial genetic differentiation and bioacoustic evidence. "Ibis" 138(4): 650–666.

* Sangster, George; Knox, Alan G.; Helbig, Andreas J. & Parkin, David T. (2002): Taxonomic recommendations for European birds. "Ibis" 144(1): 153–159. DOI|10.1046/j.0019-1019.2001.00026.x [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.0019-1019.2001.00026.x PDF fulltext]