Data Zone
Taxonomic note
Previously placed in Sylvia (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) but moved to current genus following Cai et al. (2019). Until recently considered to constitute several species, with splits of althaea and minula (with margelanica) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) from curruca (AOU 1998 and supplements; Dowsett and Forbes-Watson 1993; Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993), and this may ultimately be more appropriate. Nuclear DNA, however, fails to support clades based on mtDNA, and, although althaea is relatively well marked, characters used to define species (and subspecies) limits prove too weak for taxa to pass tests of diagnosability (Olsson et al. 2013b). Treatment of these forms under a single species currently therefore inevitable (Dickinson and Christidis 2014).
Geographical variation largely clinal, subspecies halimodendri intergrading widely with nominate in S Siberia. Proposed subspecies caucasica (Turkey, Caucasus and N Iran) and zagrossiensis (SW Iran) barely separable from nominate; similarly, telengitica (Russian Altai and Mongolia) included in margelanica. Proposed subspecies snigirewskii (Turkmenistan) largely inseparable from minula, and jaxartica (S Kazakhstan) falls within range of clinal variation of halimodendri; poorly differentiated chuancheica (upper R Huang He, S of Gobi, in N China) included in margelanica. Birds from Alai and Pamir Ranges E to Tien Shan sometimes separated as subspecies monticola, but not reliably distinguishable from those in rest of range of althaea. Six subspecies recognized.
Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Least Concern | |
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2012 | Not Recognised | |
| 2008 | Not Recognised | |
| 2004 | Not Recognised | |
| 2000 | Not Recognised | |
| 1994 | Not Recognised | |
| 1988 | Not Recognised |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | low |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 32,700,000 km2 | |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 23,800,000 km2 | |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 27900000-47700000 mature individuals | poor | estimated | 2018 |
| Population trend | stable | - | estimated | - |
| Generation length | 2.25 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: In Europe, the total population size is estimated at 9,750,000-16,700,000 mature individuals, with 4,870,000-8,320,000 breeding pairs (BirdLife International 2021), and comprises approximately 35% of the species' global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is between 27,900,000-47,700,000 mature individuals, although further validation of this estimate is desirable. In Europe, the species' population is considered to have remained relatively stable over three generations (10 years) (BirdLife International 2021). Based on these data, and the proportion of the species' global range that this region holds, the global population size is considered to be stable over three generations.
Trend justification: .
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Albania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Algeria | extant | native | ||||
| Armenia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Austria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Azerbaijan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bahrain | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belarus | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belgium | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bulgaria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cameroon | extant | native | ||||
| Chad | extant | native | ||||
| China (mainland) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Croatia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cyprus | extant | native | ||||
| Czechia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Denmark | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Djibouti | extant | native | ||||
| Egypt | extant | native | ||||
| Eritrea | extant | native | ||||
| Estonia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ethiopia | extant | native | ||||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Finland | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| France | extant | native | yes | |||
| Gambia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Georgia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Germany | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | extant | native | ||||
| Greece | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Hungary | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iceland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| India | extant | native | ||||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Iraq | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ireland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Israel | extant | native | yes | |||
| Italy | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Jordan | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Kazakhstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kuwait | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Kyrgyzstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Latvia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Lebanon | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Libya | extant | native | ||||
| Liechtenstein | extant | native | yes | |||
| Lithuania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Luxembourg | extant | native | yes | |||
| Mali | extant | native | ||||
| Malta | extant | native | ||||
| Mauritania | extant | native | ||||
| Moldova | extant | native | yes | |||
| Mongolia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Montenegro | extant | native | yes | |||
| Morocco | extant | native | ||||
| Nepal | extant | native | ||||
| Netherlands | extant | native | yes | |||
| Niger | extant | native | ||||
| Nigeria | extant | native | ||||
| North Macedonia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Norway | extant | native | yes | |||
| Oman | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Pakistan | extant | native | ||||
| Palestine | extant | native | yes | |||
| Poland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Portugal | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Qatar | extant | native | yes | |||
| Romania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia (Asian) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia (Central Asian) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia (European) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Saudi Arabia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Senegal | extant | native | ||||
| Serbia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Slovakia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Slovenia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Somalia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| South Korea | extant | vagrant | ||||
| South Sudan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Spain | extant | native | ||||
| Sri Lanka | extant | native | ||||
| Sudan | extant | native | ||||
| Sweden | extant | native | yes | |||
| Switzerland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Syria | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Tajikistan | extant | native | ||||
| Thailand | extant | native | ||||
| Tunisia | extant | native | ||||
| Türkiye | extant | native | yes | |||
| Turkmenistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Ukraine | extant | native | yes | |||
| United Arab Emirates | extant | native | yes | |||
| United Kingdom | extant | native | yes | |||
| USA | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Uzbekistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Yemen | extant | native | yes |
| Country/Territory | IBA Name |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Salang Kotal |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Bahu Kalat (Gandu) Protected Area |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Golestan |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Hamoun-i Sabari and Hamoun-i Hirmand |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Rud-i-Gaz and Rud-i-Hara deltas |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Rud-i-Jagin and Rud-i-Gabrik deltas |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Rud-i-Shur, Rud-i-Shirin and Rud-i-Minab deltas |
| Yemen | Ma'rib - Naqil Fardah - Baraqish |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Plantations | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Rural Gardens | suitable | breeding |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | non-breeding |
| Forest | Temperate | suitable | breeding |
| Savanna | Dry | suitable | non-breeding |
| Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | non-breeding |
| Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical Moist | suitable | non-breeding |
| Shrubland | Temperate | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 2350 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | international |
| Sport hunting/specimen collecting | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Lesser Whitethroat Curruca curruca. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/lesser-whitethroat-curruca-curruca on 23/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/11/2024.