Marmora's Warbler in Spain [Curruca Sarda en España]

On 3.5.2012 Alberto Plata has trapped and ringed a male Marmora's Warbler at Tabarca island, Alicante. See a full report in Spanish in his blog here and a photo provided by him below.

Sylvia sarda ♂ 3.5.2012 (Alberto Plata)


This is a 4th for Spain of a species that perhaps should not be so uncommon according to its nearby location and migratory character plus already existing records in S France. Previous accepted records in Spain are as follows:

  • 1997 Barcelona. Garraf hills, Singing male. Song tapped 25 May 1997 (X.Bayer, C. Guasch, H.Salvadó).
  • 2004 Barcelona. Delta del Llobregat, El Prat de Llobregat, Ca l'Arana, 1st winter male 14 March 2004 (Xavier Larruy), same site, probably same individual , La Magarola beach, 1st winter male, photo, 16 and 20 March 2004 (X.Larruy and Daniel Burgas). 
This record appeared in March 2004 page of Rare Birds in Spain website too and a photo plus two thumbnails were featured there, photo reproduced below.

Sylvia sarda 19.3.2012 (Rafael Armada)
  •  2005 Illes Balears. Menorca island, Sant Lluís, Isla de l'Aire, 1st winter, photo. 8 April 2005, trapped and ringed (ring CM2428), (Juan Carlos Fernández Ordoñez, Raúl Escandell, L. Font)
This record appeared in April 2005 page of Rare Birds in Spain website too with further non-homologated dates added to the accepted one.

There is a further accepted record of a bird assigned to the pair balearica/sarda:

  1. 2007. Barcelona. Sant Adrià de Besòs, Besòs river mouth, probable 1st winter, unknown sex, photo 2 April 2007 (Xavier Larruy)

This record was also featured in the April 2007 page of Rare Birds in Spain and its photo is reproduced below (X.Larruy)


Sylvia sarda/balearica. 2.4.2012 (Xavier Larruy)

According to the number of records of the species (presumably sarda so far) in S France, perhaps the species is not so uncommon as current scant data shows and it might went underwatched in coastal areas where it may be confused (or live with) similar species as the Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata). That was the case of the 1997 record.

Resumen. Curruca Sarda en España. El 3.5.2012 Alberto Plata anilló un macho de S.sarda en la isla de Tabarca, Alicante, cita más meridional de Europa hasta la fecha. Existen en España tres citas previas homologadas, dos en Catalunya y una en Menorca, Illes Balears (detalles arriba) así como una asignada al par balearica/sarda también de Catalunya en 2007. De acuerdo con el número de citas registrado en el sur de Francia hasta la fecha, tal vez la especie sea un poco más regular de lo que parece en nuestra zona donde puede pasar desapercibida en zonas litorales o bien confundiéndose con otras currucas, particularmente S.undata.

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