Birds of India - The New Synopsis

A complete checklist of bird species and subspecies found in India

Passeriformes (Perching Birds)

Sylviidae (Sylvia warblers and allies)

• Sylvia Scopoli, 1769 Annus I Historico-naturalis. Descriptiones avium musei proprii earumque rariorum, quas vidit in vivario Augustiss. Imperatorus, et museo excell. Comitis Francisci Annib. Turriani p.124 Motacilla atricapilla Linnaeus, 1758; Type by subsequent designation (Bonaparte, 1828, American Ornithology or, the Natural History of the Birds of the United States not given by Wilson with figures drawn engraved and coloured from nature by Charles Lucien Bonaparte, 2, p.17)
  • 909. Garden Warbler Sylvia borin (Boddaert, 1783)
    Original Description: Motacilla Borin Boddaert, 1783 Table des planches enluminéez d'histoire naturelle de M. D'Aubenton p.35
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II. CMS: Appendix II.
    Notes: See Delany et al. (2014, IB 9 (1): 8), Singh (2017, IB 13 (5): 138).
    • 909a. Sylvia borin woodwardi (Sharpe, 1877)
      Original Description: Bradyornis woodwardi Sharpe, 1877 Catalogue of the birds in the British Museum 22 p.308, p.311, pl. XIV
      Distribution: Ladakh only.
      Notes: Ringed bird from Ladakh (Delany et al. 2014, IB 9 (1): 7) presumed to be this subspecies.
  
  
  • 910. Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Original Description: Motacilla Atricapilla Linnaeus, 1758 Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata 1 p.187
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Recent addition. CMS: Appendix II.
    Notes: See Ajay Kumar (2022, IB 17 (6): 183).
    • 910a. Sylvia atricapilla dammholzi Stresemann, 1928
      Original Description: Sylvia atricapilla dammholzi Stresemann, 1928 Journal für Ornithologie 76 p.377
      Distribution: Vagrant. Reported from Munnar (Kerala).and Pune (W Maharashtra).
      Notes: Subspecies assumed on range.
  
  
• Curruca Bechstein, 1802 Illustrations of ornithology 2 no.6 textpl.94 Motacilla curruca Linnaeus, 1758; Type by tautonymy
  • 911. Barred Warbler Curruca nisoria (Bechstein, 1792)
    Original Description: Motacilla nisoria Bechstein, 1792 Kurzgefasste gemeinnützige Naturgeschichte des In- und Auslandes für Schulen und häuslichen Unterricht 1 p.537,note
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II. CMS: Appendix II.
    • 911a. Curruca nisoria merzbacheri (Schalow, 1907) [HB#1564a]
      Original Description: Sylvia nisoria merzbacheri Schalow, 1907 Ornithologische Monatsberichte 15 p.3
      Distribution: A passage migrant through Gilgit and Ladakh.
      Specimens: RMNH
      Notes: One female collected from Kataklik, Ladakh (ZMA.AVES.44108) by J Sillem.
  
  
  • 912. Lesser Whitethroat Curruca curruca (Linnaeus, 1758)
    Original Description: Motacilla Curruca Linnaeus, 1758 Systema Naturæ per Regna Tria Naturæ, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata 1 p.184
    Taxonomy: Following Olsson et al. (2013, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 67 (1): 80), all taxa in this complex are treated as a single species. However, sometimes althaea alone is accorded species status (RA2012) and this also found some support in Olsson et al. (2013, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 67 (1): 72).
    Alternative Names: Hume’s Whitethroat S. [c.] althaea, Desert/Small Whitethroat S. [c.] minula
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II. CMS: Appendix II.
    • 912a. Curruca curruca minula (Hume, 1873) [HB#1569]
      Original Description: Sylvia minula Hume, 1873 Stray Feathers 1 p.198
      Taxonomy: Sometimes accorded species status (see RA2012).
      Distribution: Winter: Rajasthan and Gujarat.
      Specimens: BNHS, UMMZ
    • [Curruca curruca margelanica (Sztolcman, 1898) ]
      Original Description: Sylvia margelanica Sztolcman, 1898 Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou 15 p.72
      Distribution: Kachchh.
      Notes: Possible in migration. One of the Kutch specimens from Bhuj (BNHS#5864), originally collected by Salim Ali, putatively identified as this subspecies by Vaurie (see Soman 1964, JBNHS 61 (1): 184).
    • 912b. Curruca curruca blythi (Ticehurst & Whistler, 1933) [HB#1567]
      Original Description: Sylvia curruca blythi Ticehurst & Whistler, 1933 Ibis 1933 p.556 (Kanpur)
      Taxonomy: Subspecies halimodendri Sushkin 1904 possible in region but subspecies identification difficult. When blythi is not recognised, all regional birds are assigned to halimodendri.
      Distribution: Winter: Throughout the subcontinent from Gilgit and Ladakh (at least on passage), N India, C India, east till W Bengal, west till Rajasthan and Gujarat, and south till N Karnataka but sporadic further S.
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1891.9.1.101 (Holotype?).
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH
    • 912c. Curruca curruca althaea (Hume, 1878) [HB#1570]
      Original Description: Sylvia althaea Hume, 1878 Stray Feathers 7 p.60 (Kashmir)
      Taxonomy: Includes affinis Blyth 1845 from 'S India' – but although this name is synonymized with althaea, most of the published material under the name 'affinis' refers to S curruca blythi (Ticehurst & Whistler 1933, Ibis 75 (3): 554).
      Distribution: Breeding: Gilgit, Kashmir, and Ladakh. Winter: Delhi region, Rajasthan, Gujarat, C India, S India including Deccan, eastern edges of W Ghats, and E Ghats of Andhra and Odisha.
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1886.7.8.156 (Syntype).
      Specimens: BNHS, NHMUK, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, MYS, HYD
  
  
  • 913. Eastern Orphean Warbler Curruca crassirostris (Cretzschmar, 1830)
    Original Description: Sylvia crassirostris Cretzschmar, 1830 Atlas zu der Reise im nördlichen Afrika von Eduard Rüppell. Erste Abtheilung. Zoologie. Vögel ["1826"] hft. 4 p. 49, pl. 33, fig. a
    Alternative Names: [Orphean Warbler]
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II. CMS: Appendix II.
    • 913a. Curruca crassirostris jerdoni Blyth, 1847 [HB#1565]
      Original Description: C[urruca]. Jerdoni Blyth, 1847 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Vol. 16, N° 5 p.439 (in text) (S India)
      Distribution: Winter: Delhi region, Rajasthan, Gujarat, C India, W Odisha, Deccan, south till Tamil Nadu; sporadic in Gangetic plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and S W Bengal, as well as W coastal India. Passage further north including Gilgit.
      Type Specimen: ZSI#30044 (Syntype).
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH
  
  
  • 914. Asian Desert Warbler Curruca nana Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1833 [HB#1571]
    Original Description: Curruca nana Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1833 Symbolae physicae seu icones et descriptiones corporum naturalium novorum aut minus cognitorum quae ex itineribus per Libyam Aegyptum Nubiam Dongolam Syrian Arabiam et Habessianiam publico institutis (etc.) sig.cc note5
    Distribution: Winter: Rajasthan and Gujarat. More widely in NW India during migration including Jammu, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Delhi region, and NW Maharashtra. Straggler in NW Bengal.
    Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, UMMZ, AMNH, MCZ
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II. CMS: Appendix II.
  
  
  • 915. Menetries's Warbler Curruca mystacea (Ménétries, 1832)
    Original Description: Sylvia mystacea Ménétries, 1832 Catalogue raisonné des objets de zoologie recueillis dans un voyage au Caucase et jusqu'aux frontières actuelles de la Perse p. 34
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Recent addition. CMS: Appendix II.
    • 915a. Curruca mystacea turcmenica (Zarudny & Bilkevich, 1918) [HB#1571a]
      Original Description: Sylvia mystacea turcmenica Zarudny & Bilkevich, 1918 Izvestiya Zakaspiyskago Muzeya 1 p.16
      Taxonomy: Subspecies assumed on range.
      Distribution: Vagrant. Reported from Hanle (Ladakh).
      Notes: See Gyalpo (2025, IB 21 (5): 140)
  
  
  • 916. Common Whitethroat Curruca communis (Latham, 1787)
    Original Description: Sylvia communis Latham, 1787 Supplement to the general synopsis of birds p.287
    Alternative Names: Greater Whitethroat
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II. CMS: Appendix II.
    • 916a. Curruca communis icterops (Ménétries, 1832) [HB#1566]
      Original Description: Sylvia icterops Ménétries, 1832 Catalogue raisonné des objets de zoologie recueillis dans un voyage au Caucase et jusqu'aux frontières actuelles de la Perse p.34
      Distribution: Passage migrant mainly through Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat but sporadically in Ladakh, Jammu, Delhi region, adjoining Uttar Pradesh, and W Maharashtra.
      Specimens: BNHS, UMMZ