Lesser Whitethroat

Sylvia curruca (Linnaeus, 1758)

2017-05-11 Tyumen	© Elena Poliakova

Description

The Lesser Whitethroat is a little Warbler on size resembles the Leaf Warblers. The upperparts are mostly grey; underparts are whitish; with dark-grey crown and darker "bandit mask" through the eyes and the white throat. It is resembles the Greater Whitethroat from which is distinguished by lesser size, lack of rusty on the rump and wings, dark-grey crown and dark legs. The individual variations appear on darker and paler specimens, especially it appreciable on the crown and the mask colors; some birds have buffy tinge on all body. The underwings are buffy. The sexes are almost identical. In autumn plumage the adult birds have unclear supercilium, white strips above and below eyes; often plumage have buffy tinge especially on the inner primaries. Juveniles are very similar on adults but usually “mask” is not so expressive; inner primaries buffy (not rusty as on the Greter Whitethroat) tinged; the base of the bill is pale, bluish. The eyes of adult birds are brown pale mottled; of juveniles are dark-grey or grey-brown. Weight 10-15 grams, length 12-14, wing 5,8-7,2, wingspan 16-21 cm.

References