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Whitethroat Sylvia communis [Latham, 1787]
Other Names
Trends & Distribution
Breeding & Survival
Biometrics
Books & Links
Order:
Passeriformes
Family:
Sylviidae
BTO Codes:
WH , WHITE
EURING No:
12750
Number in Britain:
931 thousand territories (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK:
GREEN
European:
Not a species of concern
Global:
Least Concern
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Status in UK:
(A) Migrant Breeder, Passage Visitor
Subspecies:
communis recorded in Britain (of 4 subsp. in the world)
.
Length:
14 cm
Wingspan:
20 cm
Weight:
M/F: 16 g
Scientific name from:
L.: silva =a wood
and L.: communis =common
World Distribution:
BREEDS: Europe, c Asia & Near East, WINTERS: tropical & s Africa
Habitat:
Scrub
Diet:
Mainly insects, esp. beetles and bugs (Hemiptera), fruit in autumn
TitBit:
A drought in the western Sahel region of Africa in 1968 caused a 90% drop in the number of Whitethroats breeding in Britain; a crash from which numbers have still not folly recovered
Population and Distribution
Population Trend:
Regional Trends:
Distribution:
New Atlas )
British Population Size:
Summer:
931 thousand territories
in 2000
First Record:
1544
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
Common in:
Scrub, Arable Farmland, Reedbed
Also found in:
Coastal Habitat, Villages
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
Average Day of First Arrival:
15 Apr
European Population Size:
Summer:
9 to 17 million pairs
(Trend in Numbers )
Birds in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of:
Bern(III), Bonn(II)
Survey Results:
Breeding and Survival
Egg Size:
18 x 14 mm
Egg Weight:
1.8 g (of which 6 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records:
108
(more would be welcome!)
Clutch Size:
4 - 5 eggs
4.64 ± 0.70 (2 - 7) N = 1021
Incubation:
12 - 13 days
12.10 ± 1.57 (9 - 16) N = 1020
by the:
Male + Female
Fledging:
12 - 14 days
12.73 ± 1.50 (10 - 15) N = 2169
as:
Altricial, naked
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid:
22 May (5 May - 6 Jul)
Number of Broods:
1-2
Trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed:
9376
Adult Survival:
0.391
Juvenile Survival:
0.289 (in First-Year)
Age at First Breeding:
1
year
Typical Lifespan:
2
years
Maximum Recorded Age:
6yr1m
Biometrics
Ring Size:
A
Wing Length
Adult:
70.8 ± 1.9
Range
68 - 74 mm, N =11983
Juvenile:
70.9 ± 1.8
68 - 74 mm, N =13133
Male:
71.4 ± 1.9
68 - 74 mm, N =4594
Female:
70.1 ± 1.8
67 - 73 mm, N =3933
Weight
Adult:
13.76 ± 1.34
Range
12.00 - 16.40 g , N =10699
Juvenile:
14.57 ± 2.00
12.60 - 17.60 g , N =11566
Male:
13.34 ± 1.07
12.00 - 15.20 g , N =3998
Female:
14.23 ± 1.43 .
12.20 - 16.80 g , N =3428
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
Other Names
Common Whitethroat
Gaelic:
Gealan-coille
Welsh:
Llwydfron
Danish:
Tornsanger
Dutch:
Grasmus
Finnish:
Pensaskerttu
French:
Fauvette grisette
German:
Dorngrasmücke
Hungarian:
Mezei poszáta
Icelandic:
Þyrnisöngvari
Irish:
Gilphíb
Italian:
Sterpazzola
Norwegian:
Tornsanger
Polish:
Cierniówka
Portuguese:
Papa-amoras-comum
Spanish:
Curruca zarcerilla
Swedish:
Törnsångare
Local Names: Nettlecreeper
For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
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See Also:
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