Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Sturnus ("starling") unicolor ("uniform")

Adult Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor) in Summer plumage in Buen Retiro Park, Madrid, Spain - June 2015

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 70-100g  /  Length: 21-23cm  /  Wingspan: 38-42cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Spotless Starling replaces the common starling in the Iberian penninsula and some of the surrounding region.  It is, however joined in Winter by migrating common starlings.  It is as the name suggests, similar to the common starling, but lacking spots - it has a slightly oily sheen to it's plumage which is an identification feature. In Madrid in the Summer, seeing these birds was a much easier affair - abundant and not particularly afraid of people, plus without common starlings present to confuse identification, making it much easier to photograph.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae
Genus: Sturnus
Subspecies: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -
ITALY - Italian - Storno nero ("Black starling")
An fairly common resident in Sardinia, Corsica and Sicily.
 - SICILY 2018 TRIP -  Fairly throughout.

SPAIN - Spanish - Estorino negro ("Black starling")

Common to locally abundant resident, particularly in Cities.

 - SEVILLE 2011 TRIP: Definitivly seen at Italica, probably common throughout but hard at range to separate from Common Starling.
 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Abundant thoughout Madrid - one of the most common species.
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Abundant thoughout Madrid - one of the most common species.

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

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Galerida ("lark with a crest") cristata ("crested")

Adult Crested Lark (subspecies G. c. pallida) in Farmland near Madrid, Spain - June 2015

Featured Subspecies: Galerida cristata pallida
Weight: 37-55g  /  Length: 17cm  /  Wingspan: 29-38cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The crested lark is a lark found widely throughout most of mainland Europe, but is absent from the British Isles. In Southern Spain at least it is fairly widespread, found on open ground, both in the countryside, or even, in this case, in the middle of cities - this particular individual was in the middle of Seville city center alongside the canal.  They get their name from their crest, which when raised is far more striking than the Skylark.  I saw this species again on my visits to Madrid, but unlike in Seville, it seemed more restricted to the countryside yet more abundant.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
Genus: Galerida
Subspecies: G. c. cristata, G. c. pallida, G. c. neumanni, G. c. apuliae, G. c. tenuirostris, G. c. meridionalis, G. c. caucasica, G. c. subtaurica, G. c. cypriaca, G. c. zion, G. c. cinnamomina, G. c. magna, G. c. leautungensis, G. c. coreensis, G. c. iwanowi, G. c. lynesi, G. c. kleinschmidti, G. c. riggenbachi, G. c. carthaginis, G. c. randoni, G. c. macrorhyncha, G. c. balsaci, G. c. arenicola, G. c. helenae, G. c. festae, G. c. brachyura, G. c. nigricans, G. c. maculata, G. c. halfae, G. c. senegallensis, G. c. jordansi, G. c. alexanderi, G. c. isabellina, G. c. altirostris, G. c. somaliensis, G. c. tardinata, G. c. chendoola

SPAIN - Spanish -  Cogujada común ("Common Lark")

Common to locally abundant resident, particularly in Cities.

 - SEVILLE 2011 TRIP: A number seen at Italica, and a pair in the centre of Seville itself.
 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Common on farmland around Madrid.
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Common around Madrid and appropriate sites throughout, including many a round Laguna del Longar.               

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red , 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    .

Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

OTHER NAMES: Cattle Egret

Latin Etymology: Bubulcus ("cow-herd") ibis ("ibis")

Winter plumage adult Western Cattle Egret (subspecies B. i. ibis) at El Rocio, Spain - December 2011

Featured Subspecies: Bubulcus ibis ibis
Weight: 270-512g  /  Length: 51cm  /  Wingspan: 88-96cm
UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Cattle Egret has in the span of this blogs existence gone from largely a vagrant to a regular wintering visitor, with a population of around 100 each year, and may well continue from there.  It can be differentiated from the little egret by the yellow bill and from the great white egret by the smaller size and stockier body.  In Spain it is far far more common, and can be found in wetland, or on fields with cattle or horses.  It is replaced in East Asia by the closely related Eastern Cattle Egret.

Related Species:
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Bubulcus
Subspecies: B. i. ibis, B. i. coromandus, B. i. seychellarum

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - An increasingly regular Winter visitor and vagrant.

-- A flock of 9 present at Woodford, Northants in April 2022

SPAIN - Spanish -  Garcilla bueyera ("Oxen Egret")

Common to locally abundant resident in appropriate habitat.

 - SEVILLE 2011 TRIP: A number seen near Italica, around 10 seen in the vicinity of El Rocio
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Fairly common, seen in flight at various random locations, numerous near Arrocampo.

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

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Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Phoenicurus ("crimson tail") ochruros ("yellow tailed")

Top: Adult male Black Redstart (subspecies P. o. aterrimus) at Italica, Seville, Spain - November 2011

Top: Adult female Black Redstart (subspecies P. o. gibraltariensis) at East India Docks, London - December 2010

Featured Subspecies: Phoenicurus ochruros aterrimus (?) & Phoenicurus ochruros gibraltariensis

Weight: 12-20g  /  Length: 13-14.5cm  /  Wingspan: 23-26cm

UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Black Redstart is one of the UKs rarest breeding birds, being less numerous than either osprey's or golden eagles with under a hundred pairs. There is an increase in winter however as birds arrive from the continent. It is also unique however in that of all Britain's rare birds, it actually does best it cities, with population centres being present in London and Birmingham - indeed, the story I have heard is that it first managed to establish itself here as a breeding species after World War 2 and the Blitz, where there were plenty of damaged and destroyed buildings for it to nest in. It favours brownfield sites which produce a similar habitat to the scree slopes on which they originally evolved and so is in danger from urban regeneration.  In contrast, on my visit to Seville in Spain, these were a fairly common species, particularly on old, large buildings such as Seville Cathedral and the Roman Ruins at Italica.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Phoenicurus 
Subspecies: P. o. aterrimus, P. o. gibraltariensis, P. o. ochruros, P. o. semirufus, P. o. phoenicuroides, P. o. rufiventris, P. o. xerophilus   

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Rare breeding resident (19-44 pairs) and rare Wintering species (400 birds)

 - Single birds seen at Trevose Head and East India Docks

SPAIN - Spanish - Colirrojo tizón ("Smut Redstart")
Scarce and Local Resident

 - SEVILLE 2011 TRIP: Seen regularly in Seville, Italica and El Rocio
 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: A few seen in passing an various locations.
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: A few seen in passing at various locations.

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

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Hoffman's Isopod* (Porcellio hoffmanseggi)

OTHER NAMES: * This species has no official English name, this name is a rough translation of the Latin one, but is entirely speculative.
Latin Etymology: Porcellio ("little pig") hoffmanseggi ("Hoffman's")

Adult Hoffman's Isopod* (Porcellio hoffmanseggi) at Italica, Spain - November 2011

Featured Subspecies: ?
Weight: ?  /  Length: < 5cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

A large and distinctively "variegated" species of Woodlouse found primarily in Southern Spain with smaller populations in Portugal and North Africa.  It is much larger than the woodlouse species I see in the UK and are more tolerant of dry habitats as befiting a species from a warmer region.

Related Species:
Order: Isopoda
Family: Porcellionidae
Genus: Porcellio
SUBSPECIES: ?

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - ?
A fairly common resident in South-West Spain.

 - 2011 SEVILLE TRIP: Common at Italica 

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