Whitethroat
Sylvia communis
Silhouette: Alexis Lours · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilySylviidae (Sylviid Warblers and Allies)
- GenusSylvia (Sylvia Warblers)
- SpeciesSylvia communis (Whitethroat)
About the Whitethroat
The greater whitethroat or common whitethroat (Curruca communis) is a common and widespread Old World warbler which breeds throughout Europe and across much of temperate western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical Africa, Arabia, and Pakistan.
The English ornithologist John Latham described the Greater whitethroat in 1783 in his A General Synopsis of Birds but introduced the binomial name Sylvia communis in the supplement to this work which was published in 1787. The specific communis is Latin for "common". The common whitethroat is now placed in the genus Curruca that was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Matthäus Bechstein in 1802.
This species may appear to be closely related to the lesser whitethroat, the species having evolved only during the end of the last ice age similar to the willow warbler and chiffchaffs. However, researchers found the presence of a white throat is an unreliable morphological marker for relationships in Curruca, and the greater and lesser whitethroats are not closely related. A molecular phylogenetic study of the Sylviidae published in 2011 found that within the genus Curruca the common whitethroat... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Whitethroat in Amboseli National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Amboseli National Park
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Sylvia boehmi
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Sylvia borin
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Lamprotornis superbus
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White-headed Buffalo-Weaver
Dinemellia dinemelli
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Wire-tailed Swallow
Hirundo smithii
Winding Cisticola
Cisticola marginatus
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Ploceus castaneiceps
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Whitethroat in Amboseli National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Whitethroat sighting in Amboseli National Park, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Whitethroat in Amboseli National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Whitethroat in Amboseli National Park in our monthly data.