Moltoni's Warbler

Curruca subalpina (Temminck, 1820) (1, 14)

Photo © By Francesco Veronesi - https://www.flickr.com/photos/francesco_veronesi/19297643255/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51532642

STATUS

Northern mainland Italy, Corsica, Sardinia and Balearic Islands. Monotypic.

OVERVIEW

Adopted by BOURC as a full species when it was separated from Subalpine Warbler in 2013.

A Salmon-pink wash on the underparts (throat, breast and flanks) of adult males is a starting point to identifying the species.

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BBRC RECORDS

1). 1894 Outer Hebrides St Kilda, male, 13th to 14th June when shot, now at Natural History Museum, Tring (BMNH 1901.1.4.1).

(R. Bowdler Sharpe, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 4: 9; J. Steele Elliot, Zoologist 1895: 282; Eds., Annals of Scottish Natural History 1895: 97; J. A. Harvie-Brown, Annals of Scottish Natural History 1902: 142; Clarke, 1912; Witherby, 1920-24; Thom, 1986; Forrester & Andrews et al., 2007; BOURC (2013), Ibis 156: 237).

2). 2007 Norfolk Burnham Overy Dunes, 2CY+, male, 30th September to 5th October, photo.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 115: 593).

3). 2009 Shetland Scatness, Mainland, male, 22nd to 28th May, photo.

(Birding World 22 (4): 139, photo; Birding World 22 (6): 245, plate 5; M. G. Pennington, Shetland Bird Report 2009: 88; T. ap Rheinallt, C. J. McInerney, R. Y. McGowan &  A. W. Lauder, Scottish Birds 31: 125; BOURC (2013), Ibis 156: 239; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 107: 621).

4). 2009 Shetland Skaw, Unst, male, 1st to 10th June, photo, sound recording.

(British Birds 102: plate 231; M. G. Pennington, Birding World 22 (6): 241-245, plates 1-4; M. G. Pennington, Scottish Birds 30: 276-281, plates 239-242; T. ap Rheinallt, C. J. McInerney, R. Y. McGowan &  A. W. Lauder, Scottish Birds 31: 125; BOURC (2013), Ibis 156: 239).

5). 2014 Fair Isle Vaadal then Observatory, female, trapped, 16th to 27th May, photo, DNA analysis.

(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 108: 608, plate 355).

6). 2014 Isles of Scilly Green Bay, Bryher, 2CY+ male, 16th May.

(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 109: 606; C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 110: 602).

7). 2015 Norfolk Blakeney Point, 2CY+ male, 11th May, photo, sound recording.

(British Birds 108: plate 227; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 109: 606).

8). 2015 Fair Isle Observatory then Meadow Burn, 2CY+ male, trapped, 15th to 25th May, photo, DNA analysis.

(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 109: 606).

9). 2015 Outer Hebrides Balranald, North Uist, 2CY+ male, 4th June, photo.

(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 109: 606).

10). 2018 Caithness Duncansby Head, 2CY+, male, 28th to 30th May, photo, DNA analysis.

(H. Peek & K. Gibb, Scottish Birds 38: 275-277, plates 232-234; British Birds 111: plate 283; C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 112: 604).

11). 2018 Norfolk Blakeney Point, 2CY+, male, in song, 2nd to 3rd June, photo, sound recording.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 112: 604).

12). 2019 North-east Scotland Forvie Sands NNR, Collieston, 2CY, female, 28th April, photo.

(P. S. Crockett, Scottish Birds 39: 362-365, plates 303-306; C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 113: 630, plate 379).

13). 2022 Pembrokeshire Skokholm, 2CY+, male, trapped, 17th to 29th May, photo, sound recording.

(L. Bacon, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 116: 585).

14). 2022 Shetland Valyie, Norwick, Unst, 1CY+, male, 5th June, photo.

(L. Bacon, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 116: 585).

15). 2022 Shetland Gutcher, Yell, 2CY+, male, in song, 24th to 27th June, photo.

(L. Bacon, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 116: 585).

P). 2023 Dorset Portland, trapped, 12th May, photo.

(British Birds 127: plate 130).