Siberian chiffchaff

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Siberian chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita tristis) is a leaf-warbler which is usually considered a subspecies of the common chiffchaff, but may be a species in its own right.

RangeEdit

Siberian chiffchaff breeds in Siberia east of the Pechora River and winters in the lower Himalayas.<ref name= Baker>Template:Cite book</ref>

Status in Europe and North AmericaEdit

It is also regularly recorded in western Europe in winter, and it is likely that the numbers involved have been underestimated due to uncertainties over identification criteria, lack of good data and recording policies (Sweden and Finland only accept trapped birds).<ref name= dean8>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Because of their unfamiliar appearance, British records in the 1950s and 1960s were originally thought to be greenish warblers, and accepted as such by BBRC, the national rarities committee, until the records were reviewed in the 1980s.<ref name=Greenish>Template:Cite journal</ref>

A Gambell, Alaska bird discovered by Alexander Lin-Moore and Ethan Goodman on June 5, 2015 and seen by many birders would be the 4th (or 5th?) reported in North America.<ref name=previous>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref>

Appearance and vocalisationsEdit

It is a dull bird, grey or brownish above and whitish below, with little yellow in the plumage, and the buff-white supercilium is often longer than in the western subspecies. It has a higher pitched suitsistsuisit song and a short high-pitched cheet call.<ref name= chiffchaff>Template:Cite book</ref> It is sometimes considered to be a full species due to its distinctive plumage and vocalisations, being similar to P. s. sindianus in these respects.<ref name=Martens1982>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name= Helbig1996>Template:Cite journal</ref>

TaxonomyEdit

Common chiffchaffs (of the nominate race) and Siberian chiffchaffs do not recognize each other's songs.<ref name=Schubert>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name = MartensMeincke1989>Template:Cite journal</ref> Pending resolution of the status of the form fulvescens, which is found where the ranges of common chiffchaff (of the race abietinus) and Siberian chiffchaff connect and may<ref name= Marova>Template:Cite journal</ref> or may not<ref name = MartensMeincke1989/> be a hybrid between these, tristis is maintained in P. collybita by most checklists.<ref name = Sangster2002>Template:Cite journal</ref>

ResourcesEdit

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