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Common Whitethroat

(Sylvia communis)
Alternate name(s): "Greater Whitethroat"
German name(s): "Dorngrasmücke"

Size: 13-15 cm; wing span 18.5-23 cm
Weight: 8-23 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Common Whitethroat at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "communis"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal/ventral view of a male Common Whitethroat singing in the top of a shrub - note the white eye-ring; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 9 May 2016 (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]

Near-lateral view of a male Common Whitethroat (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Lateral view of a male Common Whitethroat (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[5 km North of Temerin, Serbia, May 2016]

Lateral view of a male Common Whitethroat searching for prey (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Common Whitethroat - note the plain face, with a white eye-ring (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]

Frontal/ventral view of a female Common Whitethroat (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a female Common Whitethroat (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]

Lateral view of a female Common Whitethroat (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]

Lateral view of a female Common Whitethroat; the distinction between the sexes was made by behaviour, rather than physical appearance (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]

Lateral view of a Common Whitethroat; the worn plumage suggests that this bird is a female, rather than a juvenile
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2019]

Dorsal view of a female Common Whitethroat (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, May 2016]

Dorsal/ventral view of a female or immature Common Whitethroat (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

wthroat_dw_20160602.m4a (Poland) Territorial call (male) © DW
wthroat_dw_20160602_2.m4a (Poland) Territorial calls (male) © DW
wthroat_dw_20200614.m4a (Poland) Territorial calls (male) © DW
wthroat_jp_20201024.m4a (Portugal) ? © JP

More Common Whitethroat sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.