Western Orphean Warbler

Curruca hortensis - Fauvette orphée

Systematics
  • Order 
    :

    Passeriformes

  • Family
    :

    Sylviidés

  • Genus
    :

    Curruca

  • Species
    :

    hortensis

Descriptor

Gmelin, JF, 1789

Biometrics
  • Size
    : 15 cm
  • Wingspan
    : 21 cm.
  • Weight
    : 20 à 27 g
Geographic range

Distribution

Identification

Fauvette orphée
♂ adult
Fauvette orphée

The Mediterranean Warbler is a large species (one of the largest). The male has yellow eyes, dark grey crown, a black stripe from the beak to the back of the eye, grey upper back and wings, black tail with white edges, white throat and salmon-white underside.

Subspecific information 2 subspecies

  • Curruca hortensis hortensis (sw Europe, nw Africa)
  • Curruca hortensis cyrenaicae (ne Libya)

Foreign names

  • Fauvette orphée,
  • Curruca mirlona occidental,
  • toutinegra-real,
  • Orpheusgrasmücke,
  • dalos poszáta,
  • Westelijke Orpheusgrasmus,
  • Bigia grossa,
  • herdesångare,
  • Punersanger,
  • penica záhradná,
  • pěnice mistrovská,
  • Mestersanger,
  • lännenorfeuskerttu,
  • tallarol emmascarat,
  • Óðsöngvari,
  • lutniczka zachodnia,
  • parka ķauķis,
  • svetlooka penica,
  • Певчая славка,
  • メジロムシクイ,
  • 歌林莺,
  • 西方動聽林鶯,

Voice song and cries

Fauvette orphée
♂ adult

The song of the Western Orphean Warbler is a melodic phrase with repeated notes, interspersed with silences. It is somewhat reminiscent of the fluting song of the blackbird. The sharp calls are easily confused with those of other Sylviidae species.

Habitat

Fauvette orphée
adult

She frequents warm, semi-open environments that are rich in shrubs and trees, which can be found in the Mediterranean region in olive groves, gardens with hedges, and bushy heaths.

Behaviour character trait

Fauvette orphée
♂ adult plum. breeding

This is a trans-Saharan migrant species. Unlike most other warblers, the Western Orphean Warbler looks for its food relatively high in vegetation, which provides it with the necessary concealment for its secretive habits.

Flight

Fauvette orphée
♂ adult plum. breeding

The Western Orphean Warbler often sings while flying between two bushes.

Dietfeeding habits

Fauvette orphée
adult

The Western Orphean Warbler feeds on insects (diptera, orthoptera, butterflies...) and berries.

Reproduction nesting

Fauvette orphée
juvenile

The Western Orphean Warbler builds its nest in a bush or shrub, using pieces of vegetation (leaves, roots) as well as spider webs. It lays 4 to 5 eggs, which are incubated together for nearly 2 weeks.

Geographic range

Threats - protection

Fauvette orphée
♂ adult
IUCN conservation status
Extinct
Threatened
Least
concern
Extinc
in the Wild
Near
threatened
Not
evaluated
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC NE

In France, the status of the Western Orphean Warbler needs to be confirmed. There is, however, a sharp decline in its range which is currently concentrated on the Mediterranean coastline. This phenomenon may be explained by the changes of the environment due to the abandonment of traditional agricultural practices (such as sheep and goat grazing).

Sources of information

Other sources of interest

QRcode Fauvette orphéeSpecification sheet created on 28/10/2023 by with help of
Translation by AI Oiseaux.net
published: - Updated: 30-07-2005
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