Subalpine Warblers: dig out your descriptions!

This is a repeat request. I am keen to have further notes and photos of the Subalpine Warbler at Pagham Hbr on 9-16 October 1993, but also details of any other records please (apart from the 1988 Beachy Head record that has been resubmitted to BBRC and the 2019 Beachy Head record that has already been assessed by BBRC). See below for list of other records.

The British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) is planning a review of all past British records of Subalpine Warblers, following recent taxonomic changes. There have been several Sussex records of this species group since the first in 1961, so if you were one of the finders or observers and would like the record reassessed please let me know, ideally attaching a copy of the documentation prepared at the time. This will only be worth doing if a very good description with sketches or photos is available, with transcriptions or recordings of calls and/or song. If the description is in manuscript, please include a typed version to aid assessment by BBRC.

The current taxonomic position is:

Western Subalpine Warbler Curruca iberiae. North Africa (Tunisia to Morocco), Iberia, southern France, and north-west Italy.

Eastern Subalpine Warbler Curruca cantillans cantillans. Southern Italy and Sicily; and C. c. albistriata (north-east Italy, the Balkans, Greece, and western Turkey).

There is also a third species, previously considered to be a subspecies of Subalpine Warbler:

Moltoni’s Warbler Curruca subalpina (north-central Italy, Sardinia, Corsica and Balearic Islands).

Thanks.

Mark Mallalieu, County Recorder
recorder@sos.org.uk
23 April 2021