Whitethroat (Common Whitethroat)
Sylvia communis
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Distribution Britain 2,186 (-6.7%) Ireland 628 (-25.5%)
Numbers breeding: Britain 660,000 + Ireland 120,000 European status: 7,300,000 (11% in Britain and Ireland =2) British population trend: recovering following slumps (+83% CBC){+34%} How likely are you to record it? 2176 squares (48.5%) Ranked 24 [45] |
A very widespread migrant, the Whitethroat had apparently spread north in Scotland and, at the end of the 19th century was present throughout the mainland (save the very north), most of the Inner and parts of the Outer Hebrides. The expansion continued with increases and breeding, for a few years, on Orkney. The birds were well distributed throughout Ireland wherever there was suitable cover. The summer of 1969 saw all this change with massive winter mortality attributed to the Sahel drought. The CBC index dropped by 75% over winter and there was a further 50% decline over the next five years. The gradual recovery was reversed (same reason) in 1984-85 but subsequently prospects have seemed good and the birds have even bred on Shetland. The 5-year BBS figures show a significant increase of 14%. Prospects good BUT still vulnerable to droughts in the Sahel.
The following Bird On! picture is available:
Whitethroat (35mm Colour Slide by Roger Tidman)
The following Bird On! sketch is available:
From
The
State of the Nations Birds
Copyright © 2000 by Chris Mead