Eastern Orphean warbler (Curruca crassirostris)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Curruca (bird mentioned by Juvenal) crassirostris ("stout beak") 

Adult male Eastern Orphean warbler (Curruca crassirostris) at Side, Antalya, turkey - April 2025

Featured Subspecies: Curruca crassirostris crassirostris
Weight: g/kg  /  Length: 15-16m  /  Wingspan: cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Formerly lumped in the wider "Orphean Warbler" species, the Eastern species breeds from Croatia through to Krygzstan with the heart of its range being cenred around Greece and Turkey. They are named for the mythical figure Orpheus in allusion to their intricate song. This individual photographed has a pale iris which can be one of the better ID cinching features, but it's not present in all or even most individuals.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Genus: Curruca
SUBSPECIES: C. c. crassirostris, C. c. balchanica, C. c. jerdoni

 - Sighting Locations -

TURKEY  - Turkish: ?

 - ANTALYA 2025 TRIP - Onee near Side

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Western Subalpine Warbler (Curruca iberiae)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Curruca (bird mentioned by Juvenal) iberiae ("of Iberia")

                            Adult male Western Subalpine Warbler (subspecies C. i. cantillans) at Monfrague National Park, Spain - April 2016

Featured Subspecies: N/A

Weight: 9-13g  /  Length: 12cm  /  Wingspan: 16-20cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Western Subalpine Warbler is a migratory species found throughout the Mediterranean which Winters primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Its colour resembles that of a Dartford Warbler, but on a more classic warbler frame, with the distinctive feature being a little white moustache on the males.  The individuals I saw seemed to associate with rocky and scrubby riverside habitats, and usually seemed to present in male-female pairs, but obviously this may vary with the time of year and will likely not always be true.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Genus: Curruca
Subspecies: C. i. cantillans, C. i. albistriata, C. i. albistriata

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Curruca carrasqueña ("Carrasquan Warbler")

Locally common Summer Resident

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Pair seen at El Pardo, fairly abundant at Monfrague National Park (a number of pairs seen)

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Curruca (bird mentioned by Juvenal)  melanocephala ("black headed")

Adult male Sardinian Warbler (subspecies C. m. melaocephala) at Capo Murro di Porco, Sicily Italy - May 2018

Featured Subspecies: Curruca melanocephala melanocephala
Weight: 12-25g  /  Length: 13cm  /  Wingspan: 18m
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A rather striking little warbler, which looks kind of like a strange mix of a whitethroat and a Dartford warbler, the female having the colouration of the former, with a long tail and red eye making it more reminiscent of the Dartford Warbler. The red ring around the eye is the main diagnostic feature, and this species will tend to fly up onto a perch before quickly diving back into cover.  The male has a black head and a grey body, as opposed to the pictured dark grey and brown.  These birds are found throughout the Mediterranean where they are one of the more common warblers.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Genus: Curruca
Subspecies: C. m. melanocephala, C. m. momus, C. m. norrisae (extinct)

- Sighting Locations -
ITALY - Italian - L'occhiocotto ("The Warbler")
A fairly common resident
 - SICILY 2018 TRIP - Abundant at Capo Murro di Porco

SPAIN - Spanish - Curruca cabecinegra  ("Black-headed Warbler")

A fairly common resident.

 - SEVILLE 2011 TRIP: A few seen around Italica

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-Canto    .

Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata)

OTHER NAMES: Furze Wren

Latin Etymology: (bird mentioned by Juvenal)  undata ("wavy")

Adult male Dartford Warbler (subspecies C. u. dartfordiensis) at Shoeburyness, Essex - February 2015

Featured Subspecies: Curruca undata dartfordiensis

Weight: 9-12g  /  Length: 13cm  /  Wingspan: 13-18cm

UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

In my opinion, the most visually striking UK warbler - unlike the normal shades of brown of most of them. They are found on heathland in the south of the country and as a warbler they are told apart by the very long tails and the unique for Britain blue-grey and reddish brown colour scheme, combined with the dramatic red ring around the eye.  They are one of our few warblers that can be found in the winter (small numbers of species like blackcap and chiffchaff can be found in Winter but the majority leave), unfortunately, this makes them very vulnerable to hard Winters and will frequently cause the population to crash, particularly with multiple such Winters in succession.  As such though, this is potentially a bird which will actually benefit from global warming as far as extending it's Norther range goes and so may well increase.   My first sighting of this species was a coincidental glimpse in Cornwall while searching for choughs, the second, much better view was a by-product bonus of an equally failed attempt to see serin at Shoeburyness, where one of these birds was following a stonechat.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylvidae
Genus: Curruca
Subspecies: C. u. dartfordiensis, C.u. undata, C. u. toni

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A rare and local breeding resident to Southern England (3,200 pairs) whose numbers fluctuate widely with Winter severity

 - A single bird seen fleetingly on The Lizard, Cornwall, much better views of a single male at Shoeburyness in February 2015

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)

OTHER NAMES: Whitethroat

Latin Etymology: Curruca (bird mentioned by Juvenal) communis ("common")

Adult female Common Whitethroat (subspecies C. c. communis) at Geddington, Northants - September 2015

Featured Subspecies: Curruca communis communis 
Weight: 12-18g  /  Length: 13.5cm  /  Wingspan: 18-23cm

UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The common whitethroat is one of our more common rural warblers, found in thickets and hedgerows. It will often flit in and out and can best be identified by it's namesake white throat and its tufted head. The main problem with it perhaps is that catching a good glimpse enough to make sure it isn't anything rarer sometimes takes a little while. Photographing it is one of the easier warbler prospects due to it's fondness for perching out in the open, but still will dart into cover quickly if it feels threatened.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Genus: Curruca
Subspecies: C. c. communis, C. c. volgensis, C. c. icterops, C. c. rubicola   

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Common Summer migrant (1,100,000 territories) 

 - Birds seen at sites including Rutland Water, Rainham Marshes and Geddington.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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