Dartford warbler

    Sylvia undata

Castilian: Curruca rabilarga

Catalan: Tallareta cuallarga

Gallego: Papuxa do mato

Euskera: Etze-txinboa

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Passeriformes

Family: Sylviidae

Migratory status: Permanent 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 “Not Evaluated”.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

listen song

THREATS

It is not a threatened species given its large population, but it can be affected by agricultural intensification and by the disappearance of areas of shrubland as a result of forest repopulation.

Length / size: 12-13 cm / 13-19 cm

Identification: It is one of the smallest warblers. It has a long tail that is usually maintains lifted. Its back is slate grey, its underparts are a red wine colour, its throat has white spots, its legs are orange, and it has a characteristic red eye-ring.

Song: It is a combination of musical verses with others that are rough and screechy. Its call is a repetitive "cheer-cheer".

Diet: It feeds almost exclusively on invertebrates, including both adult and larvae dragonflies, lepidopterans, beetles, arachnids, etc.; in autumn and winter it can complement its diet with small fruits and seeds.

Reproduction: The breeding period begins at the end of April. The nest is built by both parents and is a small bowl made of grass and thin branches lined with feathers which is placed in thick vegetation. Both parents are in charge of incubation and caring for the chicks.

HABITAT

It occupies open forests and areas with good brush cover, especially if it is thorny. It is found from sea level up to an elevation of 2,000 metres in the Central System.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: It is well distributed throughout the entire peninsula and the Balearic Islands.

In Castile and León: It is distributed throughout the entire community, with the largest concentrations found in central León.

Movements and migrations: It is a sedentary species, although it makes dispersive movements in altitude and latitude. In winter it moves to warmer areas in the middle and south of the peninsula, Balearic Islands and northern Africa.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 1.3 to 3 million breeding pairs.

In Castile and León: