Bird, bug, butterfly and a wild variety of photos from Belarus, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland and Spain by Irish wildlife photographer Patrick J. O'Keeffe and invited guests
SARDINIAN WARBLER [Male] (Sylvia melanocephala) Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, Tavira, Portugal
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The Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala) is a small mainly insectivorous warbler of the family Sylviidae which is in the genusSylvia.
It is commonly encountered in southern and eastern Europe as well as in
countries bordering the Mediterranean Basin. It is also resident on
the Canary Islands. Some authorities recognise up to five
subspecies. The female, typical of most
sylvia warblers, has drabber plumage, it is grey headed with brownish
upper parts and the under parts are washed buff. This species
normally occurs in shrubby type habitat as well as in parks and gardens.
Sylvia melanocephala melanocephala
- Iberia across the northern Mediterranean to western Turkey. Extends
into the Maghreb from Iberia, and into Libya from Italy via Sicily.
Migrates to the Sahel and oases in the Sahara in winter.
Sylvia melanocephala leucogastra - Canary Islands, resident, probably some vagrancy between eastern islands and Maghreb.
Sylvia melanocephala momus - Near East. Resident, some local movements.
Sylvia melanocephala norissae - Fayyum Warbler - probably only a local morph of momus - Nile Delta region. Extinct since around 1940.
Sylvia melanocephala valverdei- Morocco south to the Tropic of Cancer, inland to the edge of the Sahara. Resident, but some seasonal movements.
