Western orphean warbler

    Sylvia hortensis

Castilian: Curruca mirlona

Catalan: Tallarol emmascarat

Gallego: Papuxa real

Euskera: Zozo-txinboa

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Passeriformes

Family: Sylviidae

Migratory status: Summer resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

On the National List of Threatened Species, it appears in the “Of Special Interest” category. In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Least Concern”.

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THREATS

The possible threats are unknown, but it is clear that the disappearance of pastures and open forests, agricultural and livestock intensification, and urban development all influence its loss of habitat.

Length / size: 15 cm / 20-25 cm

Identification: It is the largest of all our warblers; its back is greyish and its underparts are whitish, with shades of pink on its breast and grey on its belly. Its bill is robust, its irises yellow, its throat white, and its tail dark with white external tail feathers. The male has a black band that acts as a facial disc, and its pointed hood and forehead are very dark; it is greyer in females and brown in juveniles.

Song: The song resembles that of the common blackbird: a melodic warbling with a fluty pitch and a slow rhythm and deep tone. Its call is a "teck", similar to the clicking of the hooded warbler.

Diet: It feeds on invertebrates such as spiders, grasshoppers, bugs, small snails, etc., which it complements with berries and fruits.

Reproduction: The breeding period begins in April. The nest is a small basket of twigs and leaves, lined with moss and thin grass, and it is placed at a low height among the thick part of a bush; the nest is built by both parents. Both also incubate, with the female playing a larger role, and care for the chicks.

HABITAT

It prefers open, thin forests with developed arboreal vegetation that are generally Mediterranean (oak, pine, savin). It is found from sea level up to an elevation of 1,500 metres in Sierra Nevada, although it is rare above 1,000 metres.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: It is widely distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula, especially in the Mediterranean region, although it is rare on the Cantabrian coast, the Mediterranean coast, and in treeless areas in both Plateaus.

In Castile and León: It is distributed throughout all of the provinces, although only in specific places and infrequently. The most significant populations are found in Soria, Segovia, southern Burgos, and southwestern Zamora.

Movements and migrations: It is a trans-Saharan migratory species, with wintering areas in tropical Africa. The prenuptial passage takes place between March and June, and the postnuptial between July and October.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 100000-200000 breeding pairs.

In Castile and León: There is an estimated population of less than 6000 breeding pairs.