Spectacled Warbler

Taxobox
name = Spectacled Warbler
status = LC
status_system = iucn3.1
status_ref = [IUCN2006|assessors=BirdLife International|year=2004|id=52839|title=Sylvia conspicillata|downloaded=12 May 2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern]
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
familia = Sylviidae
genus = "Sylvia"
species = "S. conspicillata"
binomial = "Sylvia conspicillata"
binomial_authority = Temminck, 1820, Sardinia

The Spectacled Warbler, "Sylvia conspicillata", is a species in the typical warbler genus "Sylvia". It breeds in north west Africa, southwest Europe from Iberia to Italy, and then further east on the eastern Mediterranean islands and coastal regions. It is mainly resident in Africa, but other populations migrate to winter in more widely in north and west Africa and Egypt. This bird is a rare vagrant to northern and western Europe.

It also occurs in tome Atlantic islands. The subspecies "orbitalis" has been proposed for those of the Cape Verde Islands. The presumed subspecies for the Madeira birds, "bella" is today usually included in this taxon, as are the nirds of the Canary Islands, where the species is quite common except on El Hierro and known as "zarzalero y ratonero" (Álamo Tavio 1975).

These are very small "warblers" and are intermediate between Whitethroats and Tristram's Warbler in coloration. Spectacled Warblers are brown above and buff below, with chestnut wing patches and a white throat. Adult males have a grey head and the white eye ring which gives the species its name. Immature birds can be confused with both the Whitethroat and the Subalpine Warbler, and identification is difficult in the field. The song is a fast high warble.

About the precise relationships of this bird, not much can be said with certainty. It seems though as if its intermediate appearance, apart from the autapomorphic white eye ring, indicates its relationships reasonably well. It is not the closest living relative of at least Tristram's Warbler though.(Helbig 2001, Jønsson & Fjeldså 2006)

These small passerine birds are found in dry open country with bushes. 3-6 eggs are laid in a nest in a bush. Like their relatives, the Spectacled Warbler is insectivorous.

References

* Álamo Tavío, Manuel (1975): Aves de Fuerteventura en peligro de extinción. "In:" Asociación Canaria para Defensa de la Naturaleza (ed.): "Aves y plantas de Fuerteventura en peligro de extinción": 10-32. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. [http://bdigital.ulpgc.es/mdc/texto/pdf/057627_0000.pdf PDF fulltext]

* Helbig, A. J. (2001): Phylogeny and biogeography of the genus "Sylvia". "In:" Shirihai, Hadoram: "Sylvia warblers": 24-29. Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J. ISBN 0691088330

* Jønsson, Knud A. & Fjeldså, Jon (2006): A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds (Aves: Passeri). "Zool. Scripta" 35(2): 149–186. doi|:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2006.00221.x (HTML abstract)

Further reading

Identification

* Shirihai, Hadoram, Alan Harris and David Cottridge (1991) Identification of Spectacled Warbler "British Birds" 84(10):423-430

External links

* Madeira Birds: [http://www.madeirabirds.com/spectacle_warbler Spectacled Warbler]
* [http://www.ibercajalav.net/img/366_SpectacledWarblerSconspicillata.pdf Ageing and sexing (PDF) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta]