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 [Female] (Sylvia melanocephala leucogastra) Las Penitas, Barranco de las Penitas, Fuerteventura, The Canary Islands, Spain
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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. The
Sardinian Warbler(Sylvia melanocephala leucogastra)that occurs onthe Canary Islandsis an endemic
subspecies. The Spectacled
Warbler (Sylvia conspicillata orbitalis) is the only other warbler that
breeds on Fuerteventura and it is also classified as a Canary Island
endemic subspecies. After a considerable wait, this
female hopped out briefly onto a Tamarisk bush and I managed to fire off
half a dozen shots before it disappeared back into the thicket. The photoabove being the best of a bad lot.
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.