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21

Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) Alternate name(s): "Desert Lesser Whitethroat" Size: 12.5-13.5 cm; wingspan: 16.5-20.5 cm Weight: 7-18 g

Oman: Family Group 21 Family Group 21 Table Spotted Flycatcher Lesser Whitethroat Thumbnails page Classification table Index of bird names Birds home page

Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Lesser Whitethroats are small insectivore birds. Their plumage is cryptic. The head is lead-grey, with dark-grey ear coverts. The throat is white, while the rest of the front gradually darkens from off-white on the chest to grey (belly, vent, undertail). The nape of the neck, back and wing coverts are brownish-grey. The uppertail has a stronger brown tint than the back. During the breeding season the plumage may show less brown tints than during winter. The irises are brown. The straight bill is grey, with a lighter base on the lower mandible. The legs and feet are grey.

Taxonomy, classification See Lesser Whitethroat at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Lesser Whitethroat is available HERE . Lesser Whitethroats are a migratory species that breeds in most of Europe, except the south-western parts, but including England and southern Scandinavia, south-eastern Europe, the eastern Mediterranean, Asia Minor and eastwards into temperate western and central Asia. They spend the northern winters in sub-Saharan Africa, on the Arabian peninsula and in south-western Asia, up to India in the East. In passage between Africa and Asia Lesser Whitethroats are found basically everywhere, at least along the near-coastal fringes of Arabia.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "curruca" Lesser Whitethroats, nominate race "curruca", were seen by us occasionally on the Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat. They were first found in the time frame October-December 2009 and then again seen in April 2010. Lesser Whitethroats, race "curruca", were also observed by us in Europe.

Photos

Race "curruca"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Lesser Whitethroat foraging low in a shrub
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Partly obscured frontal view of a preening Lesser Whitethroat showing the dark plumage hidden under the off-white outer layer
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Near-lateral view of a Lesser Whitethroat issuing its call
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

Near-lateral view of a Lesser Whitethroat
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

Close-up lateral view of a Lesser Whitethroat looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]

Lateral view of a Lesser Whitethroat
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, December 2009]

Lateral/ventral view of a Lesser Whitethroat
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

We have been able to obtain breeding information in Europe.

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.

deslwht_dw_20160504.m4a	curruca (Poland)	Territorial calls (male)	© DW
deslwht_dw_20160523.m4a	curruca (Poland)	Territorial calls (male)	© DW
deslwht_dw_20160523_2.m4a	curruca (Poland)	Territorial calls (male)	© DW
deslwht_dw_20190427.m4a	curruca (Poland)	Territorial calls? (at nest)	© DW

More Lesser 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.

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