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 Kruger National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Kruger National Park
Lesser Whitethroat
Sylvia curruca
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borin
Tit Babbler
Curruca subcoerulea
Bush Blackcap
Lioptilus nigricapillus
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Red-billed Oxpecker
Buphagus erythrorhynchus
Blue-breasted Cordonbleu
Uraeginthus angolensis
Magpie Shrike
Urolestes melanoleucus
Black-backed Puffback
Dryoscopus cubla
Burchell's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis australis
Red-shouldered Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis nitens
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 Kruger National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Whitethroat sighting in Kruger National Park, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Whitethroat in Kruger National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Whitethroat in Kruger National Park in our monthly data.