Lesser Whitethroat

SCI Name:  Sylvia curruca
Protonym:  Motacilla Curruca Syst.Nat.ed.10 p.184
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Sylviidae / Sylvia
Taxonomy Code:  leswhi4
Type Locality:  Europe; restricted to Sweden by Hartert, 1909, Vogel Pal. Fauna, p. 588.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1758
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

SYLVIA
(Sylviidae; Ϯ Eurasian Blackcap S. atricapilla) Mod. L. sylvia  woodland sprite  < L. silva or sylva  woodland (cf. Motacilla sylvia Linnaeus, 1766 (considered unidentifiable, but perhaps the Common Whitethroat)); "SYLVIA.  Gens tenuirostris, insectivora, canora, garrula, inquieta, arboribus insidens, strigi illudens, migrans, saltitans nec ambulans, vocem nullam edens dum volat.   227. SYLVIA LUSCINIA.  ...  Ital. Rossignolo. Germ. Nachtigall.  ...  228. SYLVIA CURRUCA.  ...  Ital. Bianchetto. Germ. Spottvogel.  ...  229. SYLVIA ATRICAPILLA.  ...  Ital. Capo nero. Germ. Schwarzplatl.  ...  230. SYLVIA OENANTHE.  ...  Ital. Cullo bianco. Germ. Steinschwazer.  ...  231. SYLVIA RUBECULA.  ...  Ital. Petto rosso, Pitardello, Petuzzo. Germ. Rothkehlchen, Rothkröpfl.  ...  232. SYLVIA PHOENICURUS.  ...  Ital. Scorsolato, Quarossolo. German. Rothschwänzchen, Waldrothschweifl.  ...  233. SYLVIA TITHYS.  ...  Ital. Moretto. Germ. Hausrothschweifl.  ...  234. SYLVIA ZYA.  ...  235. SYLVIA SCHOENOBAENUS?  ...  Ital. Grisato.  ...  236. SYLVIA MUSCIPETA.  ...  Ital. Grisatto bastardo.  ...  237. SYLVIA RUBETRA.  ...  238. SYLVIA TROCHILUS.  ...  Germ. Schmittl.  ...  239. SYLVIA TROGLODYTES.  ...  Ital. Reatolo. Germ. Königerl, Zaunschlupferl.  ...  240. SYVIA REGULUS.  ...  Germ. Goldhähnlein, Zaunkönig." (Scopoli 1769). "When the genus Sylvia, containing upwards of two hundred and fifty species, shall have been properly studied, it will be found practicable to divide it into several more sections, subgenera, and even perhaps genera. This bird [Sylvia palmarum], along with many other North American species, will constitute a highly natural group, very distinct from the true Sylvia, of which S. atricapilla may be considered as the type" (Bonaparte 1828); “This genus, proposed by Scopoli  ...  has no type designated by the author. Of later writers, Swainson in 1836 designated Sylvia hippolais (the Icterine Warbler), Gray in 1840 Sylvia melanocephala (the Sardinian Warbler), and Seebohm in 1881 Sylvia cinerea (the Whitethroat) as the types. As these three species are not to be found among those included by Scopoli in his original list of species, it is obvious that another type must be found. Motacilla sylvia Linnaeus, 1766 (= Sylvia communis Lath.), which might be regarded as the type by tautonymy, cannot be taken into consideration; it is not included in Scopoli’s original list of the members of the genus, and the identification of Motacilla sylvia with Sylvia communis is very doubtful. The Committee suggest that Sylvia curruca (Linn.) should henceforth be regarded as the type of this genus” (BOU 1915); "Sylvia Scopoli, 1769, Annus I Hist. Nat., p. 154. Type, by subsequent designation (Bonaparte, 1828, Amer. Ornith., 2, p. 17), Motacilla atricapilla Linnaeus." (Watson in Peters 1986, XI, 270).
Var. Silvia, Silvya, Slyvia, Sylcia.   
Synon. Adophoneus, Adornis, Aegithalopsis, Alsoecus, Atraphornis, Communis, Corytholaea, Cuphopterus, Cuphornis, Curruca, Dagela, Epilais, Erythroleuca, Ficedula, Horizorhinus, Hortensis, Lioptilornis, Lioptilus, Melizophilus, Melophilus, Monachus, Nisoria, Parisoma, Philacantha, Philydra, Pseudoalcippe, Pyrophthalma, Sterparola, Thamnodus, Trochilus.

sylvia
Mod. L. sylvia  woodland sprite, little bird, warbler  < L. silva  woodland.
● Roman myth. Rhea Silvia, wife to the river god Tiberinus, and mother of the twins Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome; alluding to watery habitats (subsp. Cisticola erythrops, Tanysiptera).
● Roman myth. Silvia, goddess of the forests (syn. Peneothello bimaculata vicaria).
● "99. MOTACILLA.   ...   Sylvia.  9. M. supra cinerea, subtus alba, rectrice prima longitudinaliter dimidiato albo, secunda apice alba. Fn. svec. 228.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (?syn. Sylvia curruca).

curruca
Obsolete Swedish name Kruka for the Lesser Whitethroat (Tommy Tyrberg in litt.). (cf. L. curruca or curuca  cuckold, unidentified small bird mentioned by Juvenal (by some editors considered a variant of eruca or uruca  caterpillar (bird)); “An English writer, Eliot, identified the name with the Hedge-Sparrow [Prunella]” (BOU 1915). Ray 1713, wrote of the Hedge-Sparrow or Dunnock, “In the Nest of this bird the Cuckow is said to lay her Egg, which the foolish bird sits upon, hatches, and brings up the young one till it be fledg’d, and can shift for it self: Whence the word Curruca signifies as much in Latine as Cuckold with us in English, i.e. one that brings up another mans Child for his own” ); "99. MOTACILLA.   ...   Curruca.  6. M. supra fusca, subtus albida, rectricibus fuscis: extima margine tenuiore alba. Fn. svec. 233.   Curruca. Gesn. av. 370.  Aldr. orn. l. 17. c. 34.  Will. orn. 157.  Raj. av. 79. n. 6.  Habitat in Europa." (Linnaeus 1758) (Sylvia).

Curruca
L. curruca or curuca  cuckold, unidentified small bird mentioned by Juvenal (by some editors considered a variant of eruca or uruca  caterpillar (bird)).
• (Pipridae; syn. Lepidothrix † White-fronted Manakin L. serena) "Curruca nigra, fronte alba; abdomine croceo; uropygio cyaneo.  ... Inter Currucam fuscam et Lusciniam salicariam mediae circiter magnitudinis" (Koelreuter 1767).  The bird shown on plate XV, fig. 5, is unmistakable, but opinions differ as to whether Koelreuter's names were binomial.
• (Muscicapidae; syn. Luscinia † Thrush Nightingale L. luscinia) "VI. Fam. Sylviadae. Vigors.  ...  Curruca Cuv.: Mot. luscinia Lin. u. a." (Boie 1826); "Curruca "Cuv." Boie, 1826, Isis von Oken, col. 972.  Type, by monotypy, Motacilla luscinia Linnaeus, 1758." (JAJ 2021).
• (Muscicapidae; syn. Saxicola † Common Stonechat S. torquatus rubicola) "Curruca Eliotæ.  Hedge Fauvette.   ...   Curruca Rubetra, ♂.  Whin-chat Fauvette, male.   ...   Curruca Rubetra, ♀ .  Whin-chat Fauvette, female.   ...   Curruca Rubicola, ♂.  Stone-chat Fauvette, male.   ...   Curruca Rubicola, ♀ .  Stone-chat Fauvette, female.   ...   Curruca Rubecola, ♂.  Redbreast Fauvette, male.   ...   Curruca atricapilla, ♂.  Black-cap Fauvette, male." (Leach 1816 (ed. Salvin 1882)); "Curruca Leach Cat. 1816, 25.  Typ.: Motacilla rubicola L." (Reichenow, 1905, Vögel Afrikas, III (ii), p. 730). 
• (Sylviidae; syn. Sylvia † Eurasian Blackcap S. atricapilla) "CURRUCA ATRICAPILLA, Brisson.  Common Blackcap.  ... It will also serve as an illustration of the genus Curruca, of which it is typical" (Jardine & Selby 1830).
• (Sylviidae; syn. Sylvia † Garden Warbler S. borin) "LA FAUVETTE  ...CURRUCA  ... Les Habitans de la Province d'Yorck, PETTICHAPS. Raj." (Brisson 1760).
• (Sylviidae; syn. Sylvia † Lesser Whitethroat S. curruca) "a. Grasmücken (Curruca): Mit einem stärken, runden, fast gleichstarken Schnabel, und ziemlich starken Füßen. Ihre Nahrung besteht aus Insekten und Beeren)  ...  7. Geschwätziger Sänger (Müllerchen: S. Curruca, mihi) ...  Motacilla Curucca. Linné, l. c. p. 954. N. 6.  Motacilla dumetorum. Linné, l. c. p. 985. N. 31.  Donndorf, a. a. O. S. 689. Nr. 31.  Sylvia cinerea. Latham Index ornith. II. p. 514. N. 23.  Bechstein, N. G. D. IV. S. 564. Taf. 16.  Frisch, Vögel. Taf. 21. fig. 2.a.  Donndorf, a. a. O. S. 620. Nr. 6." (Bechstein 1802); "Curruca Bechstein, 1802, Ornith. Taschenbuch Deutschland, p. 165.  Type, by tautonymy, Motacilla curruca Linnaeus." (Watson in Peters, 1986, XI, p. 270).
Var. Currula.   

SUBSPECIES

Lesser Whitethroat (curruca/blythi)
SCI Name: Sylvia curruca curruca/blythi
SYLVIA
(Sylviidae; Ϯ Eurasian Blackcap S. atricapilla) Mod. L. sylvia  woodland sprite  < L. silva or sylva  woodland (cf. Motacilla sylvia Linnaeus, 1766 (considered unidentifiable, but perhaps the Common Whitethroat)); "SYLVIA.  Gens tenuirostris, insectivora, canora, garrula, inquieta, arboribus insidens, strigi illudens, migrans, saltitans nec ambulans, vocem nullam edens dum volat.   227. SYLVIA LUSCINIA.  ...  Ital. Rossignolo. Germ. Nachtigall.  ...  228. SYLVIA CURRUCA.  ...  Ital. Bianchetto. Germ. Spottvogel.  ...  229. SYLVIA ATRICAPILLA.  ...  Ital. Capo nero. Germ. Schwarzplatl.  ...  230. SYLVIA OENANTHE.  ...  Ital. Cullo bianco. Germ. Steinschwazer.  ...  231. SYLVIA RUBECULA.  ...  Ital. Petto rosso, Pitardello, Petuzzo. Germ. Rothkehlchen, Rothkröpfl.  ...  232. SYLVIA PHOENICURUS.  ...  Ital. Scorsolato, Quarossolo. German. Rothschwänzchen, Waldrothschweifl.  ...  233. SYLVIA TITHYS.  ...  Ital. Moretto. Germ. Hausrothschweifl.  ...  234. SYLVIA ZYA.  ...  235. SYLVIA SCHOENOBAENUS?  ...  Ital. Grisato.  ...  236. SYLVIA MUSCIPETA.  ...  Ital. Grisatto bastardo.  ...  237. SYLVIA RUBETRA.  ...  238. SYLVIA TROCHILUS.  ...  Germ. Schmittl.  ...  239. SYLVIA TROGLODYTES.  ...  Ital. Reatolo. Germ. Königerl, Zaunschlupferl.  ...  240. SYVIA REGULUS.  ...  Germ. Goldhähnlein, Zaunkönig." (Scopoli 1769). "When the genus Sylvia, containing upwards of two hundred and fifty species, shall have been properly studied, it will be found practicable to divide it into several more sections, subgenera, and even perhaps genera. This bird [Sylvia palmarum], along with many other North American species, will constitute a highly natural group, very distinct from the true Sylvia, of which S. atricapilla may be considered as the type" (Bonaparte 1828); “This genus, proposed by Scopoli  ...  has no type designated by the author. Of later writers, Swainson in 1836 designated Sylvia hippolais (the Icterine Warbler), Gray in 1840 Sylvia melanocephala (the Sardinian Warbler), and Seebohm in 1881 Sylvia cinerea (the Whitethroat) as the types. As these three species are not to be found among those included by Scopoli in his original list of species, it is obvious that another type must be found. Motacilla sylvia Linnaeus, 1766 (= Sylvia communis Lath.), which might be regarded as the type by tautonymy, cannot be taken into consideration; it is not included in Scopoli’s original list of the members of the genus, and the identification of Motacilla sylvia with Sylvia communis is very doubtful. The Committee suggest that Sylvia curruca (Linn.) should henceforth be regarded as the type of this genus” (BOU 1915); "Sylvia Scopoli, 1769, Annus I Hist. Nat., p. 154. Type, by subsequent designation (Bonaparte, 1828, Amer. Ornith., 2, p. 17), Motacilla atricapilla Linnaeus." (Watson in Peters 1986, XI, 270).
Var. Silvia, Silvya, Slyvia, Sylcia.   
Synon. Adophoneus, Adornis, Aegithalopsis, Alsoecus, Atraphornis, Communis, Corytholaea, Cuphopterus, Cuphornis, Curruca, Dagela, Epilais, Erythroleuca, Ficedula, Horizorhinus, Hortensis, Lioptilornis, Lioptilus, Melizophilus, Melophilus, Monachus, Nisoria, Parisoma, Philacantha, Philydra, Pseudoalcippe, Pyrophthalma, Sterparola, Thamnodus, Trochilus.

Lesser Whitethroat (halimodendri)
SCI Name: Sylvia curruca halimodendri
halimodendri
Botanical genus Halimodendron Fischer, 1825, salt tree, a steppe shrub of Central Asia  < Gr. ἁλιμος halimos  of the sea  < ἁλς hals, ἁλος halos  sea; δενδρον dendron  tree (subsp. Sylvia curruca).

Lesser Whitethroat (Desert)
SCI Name: Sylvia curruca minula
minula / minulla / minullum / minullus / minulus
Mod. L. minulus  very small  < Med. L. minulus  small letter  < L. minusculus  rather small  < dim. minor  smaller  < comp. parvus  small.
● ex “Minulle” of Levaillant 1798, pl. 34 (Accipiter).

Lesser Whitethroat (Gansu)
SCI Name: Sylvia curruca margelanica
margelanica
Margelan or Marguelane, Ferghana, Russian Turkistan (= Margilan or Marghilon, eastern Uzbekistan).

Lesser Whitethroat (Hume's)
SCI Name: Sylvia curruca althaea
althaea
Gr. myth. Althaea, wife of King Oënus of Calydon and mother to Meleager. During the Calydonian boar hunt Meleager, in a rage, slew Althaea’s brothers, his uncles Plexippus and Toxeus. The tormented Althaea, torn between love for her son and revenge for her brothers, eventually threw the log upon which Meleager’s life depended upon the flames and he died in agony. Althaea, unconsolable, committed suicide by driving a sword through her body (subsp. Sylvia curruca).