Hume's Whitethroat
Encyclopedia
Hume's Whitethroat Sylvia althaea is a species
of typical warbler
. Until recently, it was considered conspecific
with the Lesser Whitethroat
; today these are seen as members of a superspecies
which also includes the Desert Whitethroat. The present species together with the arid
land Desert Whitethroat(s) seems to form an Asian lineage in the superspecies.
It is distinguished from the Lesser Whitethroat by its slightly larger size (13–14 cm), slightly stouter bill, and the darker top of the head and darker grey-brown back, which gives it less contrast between its upper head to back region than in Lesser Whitethroat. The throat is white, and the rest of the underparts pale greyish-white. Their breeding ranges do not overlap; Hume's Whitethroat inhabits upland regions from eastern Iran
eastwards to the Tian Shan
mountains of central Asia and the western ranges of the Himalaya. Hume's Whitethroat breeds at altitudes of 2,000–3,600 m in open scrub, often with juniper
, and in cultivated areas such as almond
orchards. It migrates
south to southern Pakistan and India in the winter, where it does overlap with wintering Lesser Whitethroats in some areas.
Two subspecies
are accepted:
Birds breeding in the Caucasus Mountains
and northwestern Iran have sometimes been considered intermediate between Lesser and Hume's Whitethroats, but are now more clearly assigned to Lesser Whitethroat, as the subspecies Sylvia curruca caucasica or even not separated from typical European S. c. curruca.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of typical warbler
Typical warbler
The typical warblers are small birds belonging to the genus Sylvia in the "Old World warbler" family Sylviidae. There are 28 species currently included in the genus, including five species formerly treated in the genus Parisoma, a treatment which left Sylvia paraphyletic...
. Until recently, it was considered conspecific
Conspecificity
Conspecificity is a concept in biology. Two or more individual organisms, populations, or taxa are conspecific if they belong to the same species....
with the Lesser Whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat
The Lesser Whitethroat is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds in temperate Europe, except the southwest, and in western and central Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, wintering in Africa just south of the Sahara, Arabia and India.Unlike many typical warblers,...
; today these are seen as members of a superspecies
Superspecies
A superspecies is a group of at least two more or less distinctive species with approximately parapatric distributions. Not all species complexes, whether cryptices or ring species are superspecies, and vice versa, but many are...
which also includes the Desert Whitethroat. The present species together with the arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
land Desert Whitethroat(s) seems to form an Asian lineage in the superspecies.
It is distinguished from the Lesser Whitethroat by its slightly larger size (13–14 cm), slightly stouter bill, and the darker top of the head and darker grey-brown back, which gives it less contrast between its upper head to back region than in Lesser Whitethroat. The throat is white, and the rest of the underparts pale greyish-white. Their breeding ranges do not overlap; Hume's Whitethroat inhabits upland regions from eastern Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
eastwards to the Tian Shan
Tian Shan
The Tian Shan , also spelled Tien Shan, is a large mountain system located in Central Asia. The highest peak in the Tian Shan is Victory Peak , ....
mountains of central Asia and the western ranges of the Himalaya. Hume's Whitethroat breeds at altitudes of 2,000–3,600 m in open scrub, often with juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
, and in cultivated areas such as almond
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
orchards. It migrates
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
south to southern Pakistan and India in the winter, where it does overlap with wintering Lesser Whitethroats in some areas.
Two subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
are accepted:
- Sylvia althaea althaea – mountains of southwestern Asia.
- Sylvia althaea monticola – Alai, Pamir and Tian Shan mountains, in central Asia.
Birds breeding in the Caucasus Mountains
Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus Mountains is a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region .The Caucasus Mountains includes:* the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and* the Lesser Caucasus Mountains....
and northwestern Iran have sometimes been considered intermediate between Lesser and Hume's Whitethroats, but are now more clearly assigned to Lesser Whitethroat, as the subspecies Sylvia curruca caucasica or even not separated from typical European S. c. curruca.