Iberian chiffchaff

    Phylloscopus ibericus

Castilian: Mosquitero ibérico

Catalan: Mosquiter ibèric

Gallego: Picafollas ibérico

Euskera:

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Passeriformes

Family: Sylviidae

Migratory status: Summer resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

On the National List of Threatened Species, it appears in the “Of Special Interest” category. In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Not Evaluated”.

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THREATS

Because of the difficulty in distinguishing it from the common chiffchaff, it does not appear to be in danger.

Length / size: 10-11 cm / 15-21 cm

Identification: It is practically indistinguishable from the common warbler. Its back is bright green, in contrast with its whitish underparts, and its auricular area is more yellowish and its legs are caramel-coloured.

Song: It song helps us differentiate it from the chiffchaff. it is a series of short notes that follow an irregular rhythm, and that speed up until ending in a fast trill. Its call is a mournful "peeoo".

Diet: It primarily feeds on insects; in spring and fall it complements its diet with nectar from flowers and small fruits.

Reproduction: The breeding period begins in April. The nest is built primary by the female, and she hides it in bushes or thick trees, always at a low height; it is a closed structure with a small side entry made using grass and moss. The female incubates the eggs and the chicks are cared for mostly by her.

HABITAT

It is a species that is dependent on forest environments. In the north, it occupies any kind of forest and countryside landscape, but in the south it is found in mountainous areas and riparian meadows.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: Its exact area of distribution is unknown, but the information that currently exists indicates that it is widely distributed throughout the northern half of the peninsula and is more fragmented in the south.

In Castile and León: Although there is little information, it is known that it breeds in all the provinces, with greater densities in Palencia, Burgos and León.

Movements and migrations: All of this seems to indicate that the species is a trans-Saharan migrant.

POPULATION

In Spain: Given the recent differentiation between the Iberian chiffchaff and the common chiffchaff and the overlapping of both species in Spain, it is difficult to count the population. It is thought to be around several hundred thousand breeding pairs.

In Castile and León: