Copyright: monacoeye. Alpes Maritimes, France, July

Bird name: Lesser Whitethroat
Latin: Sylvia curruca
Other: Fauvette grisette (Fr) • Klappergrasmücke (De) • Bigiarella (It) • Braamsluiper (Nl) • Ärtsångare (Sv)
Family: Sylviidae • Warblers
Range: UK, NE France, Europe, to Africa, India
Similar:

Record shot of a Lesser Whitethroat seen just below the tree line in the Alpes Maritimes, France, July.

Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • France

Bird name: Sardinian Warbler
Latin: Sylvia melanocephala
Other: Fauvette Mélanocéphale (Fr) • Curruca cabecinegra (Es) • Occhiocotto (It) • Toutinegra-de-cabeça-preta (Pt)
Family: Sylviidae • Warblers
Range: Mediterranean rim: France, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, N Africa etc
Similar: Blackcap, other warblers

The Sardinian Warbler is resident in the south of France all year round. Fairly widespread - even seen in Monaco.

The bright red eye-ring is the key distinguishing mark. Males (above) have well-defined black caps which extend below the eye and females (below) are browner and duller.
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Photos copyright: monacoeye • Cote d’Azur, France • 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Blackcap
Latin: Sylvia atricapilla
Other: Fauvette à tête noire
Family: Sylviidae • Sylviid Warblers

Blackcaps are nice small birds, not overly shy, with an attractive song. They are conveniently colour-coded, black caps are male and red-brown caps are female or juveniles.

They can have sleek plumage or be very chubby and fluffy. The latter are often juveniles. There are a couple of similar birds on the coast here. The Sardinian Warbler is easily differentiated, as its cap runs below the eye, whereas the Blackcap's runs through the eye. The Marsh Tit has a black bib, below the beak, which the Blackcap lacks.

The Blackcap is not uncommon in Monaco and especially visible in the winter.

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Bird name: Common Whitethroat
Latin: Sylvia communis
Other: Fauvette grisette
Family: Sylviidae • Warblers

Photo: monacoeye • Nice • April 2009

This female Whitethroat was in the reed banks by Cap 3000 in Nice. Not much of a photo, but I was pleased to see her at least. The river banks are now full of birds where there were very few just a month ago.More photos...

Changes (IOC 3.3 - 2013)

2013 4. Sylviidae - Sylviid babblers …
Myzornis, Parophasma, Pseudoalcippe, Horizorhinus, Lioptilus, Sylvia, Lioparus, Moupinia, Fulvetta, Chrysomma, Rhopophilus, Chamaea, Conostoma, Cholornis, Sinosuthora, Suthora, Neosuthora, Chleuasicus, Psittiparus, Paradoxornis
Fire-tailed Myzornis to Reed Parrotbill

192 Sylviidae - Sylviid Babblers - IOC 2.5 - 2010
Sylvia in limbo

Sylvia atricapilla - Eurasian Blackcap - C, W, SW Eurasia - N, E, W Africa
Sylvia borin - Garden Warbler - C, W Eurasia - Africa
Sylvia nisoria - Barred Warbler - C Eurasia - E Africa
Sylvia curruca - Lesser Whitethroat - Widespread Eurasia - Africa, S Asia, India
Sylvia minula - Desert Whitethroat - C Eurasia
Sylvia althaea - Hume's Whitethroat - SC Eurasia
Sylvia hortensis - Western Orphean Warbler - SW Europe, NW Africa - W Africa from Senegal to Chad - New name
Sylvia crassirostris - Eastern Orphean Warbler - SE Europe to C Asia. Eurasia - NE Africa to SW, SE Arabian Peninsula, S Iran, S Pakistan, India - Split from S. hortensis
Sylvia leucomelaena - Arabian Warbler - NE, Africa, also W, S Arabian Peninsula
Sylvia nana - Asian Desert Warbler - SC Asia
Sylvia deserti - African Desert Warbler - NW Africa
Sylvia communis - Common Whitethroat - Widespread Eurasia - Africa
Sylvia undata - Dartford Warbler - SW Eurasia
Sylvia sarda - Marmora's Warbler - SW Eurasia - NW Africa
Sylvia balearica - Balearic Warbler - Balearic Is. Eurasia - Split from S. sarda
Sylvia deserticola - Tristram's Warbler - NW Africa
Sylvia conspicillata - Spectacled Warbler - SW Eurasia - NW, N Africa
Sylvia cantillans - Subalpine Warbler - SW Eurasia - N Africa
Sylvia moltonii - Moltoni's Warbler - W Mediterranean, Italy - Split from S. cantillans
Sylvia melanocephala - Sardinian Warbler - SW Eurasia - N Africa
Sylvia mystacea - Menetries's Warbler - SC Eurasia - NE Africa, Arabian Peninsula
Sylvia ruppeli - Rüppell's Warbler - SW Eurasia - NE Africa
Sylvia melanothorax - Cyprus Warbler - Cyprus - Egypt, Sudan
Sylvia buryi - Yemen Warbler - SW Arabian Peninsula - Was Parisoma
Sylvia lugens - Brown Warbler - NE Africa - Was Parisoma; new name
Sylvia subcaerulea - Chestnut-vented Warbler - S Africa - Was Parisoma; new name
Sylvia layardi - Layard's Warbler - SW Africa - Was Parisoma; new name
Sylvia boehmi - Banded Warbler - NE Africa - Was Parisoma; new name


Incertae Sedis - Family Uncertain

Myzornis pyrrhoura - Fire-tailed Myzornis - Himalayas to NE Burma - Myzornis in Sylviidae ?