Curruca communis
Curruca communis
This species extends throughout the western Palearctic, being absent only in the colder northern areas and in Russia (Keller et al., 2020; BirdLife International, 2024). In Spain, it occupies mountainous areas or habitats at relatively high bioclimatic altitudes, therefore it is abundant in the northern half of the peninsula and in mountainous zones, and is absent in the southern half and the Mediterranean Levante of the peninsula (Aparicio in SEO/BirdLife, 2022).
In Madrid, it mainly occupies the mountain area between 1,000 and 1,600 meters of altitude, although it reaches 2,000 meters in some points and penetrates lower areas under the cover of riparian groves and forests (Díaz et al., 1994).
In the national park, the highest abundances of the species are found in the Altos de la Morcuera, in grassland areas with some shrub substrate, and around grassland with shrub at Navafría pass and south of Pico del Nevero.
The garden warbler prefers shrub and low tree habitats under 4–6 meters in height; therefore, it occurs in forest regeneration stages at edges, open countryside, and mountain scrublands. It prefers areas with lower sun exposure and proximity to deciduous forests and rivers (Tellería et al., 2008; Aparicio, 2014).
In the national park, its highest densities are detected in shrub areas, but certain abundances are also recorded in open areas, as it is a species that occupies non-dense forested areas.
At the global scale, it is considered in the Least Concern category (LC; 2024). In Europe, it would also be classified in the same category (LC; 2020). In Spain, it is considered in the Vulnerable category in the 2021 Red List.
The Catalogue of Threatened Species of the Community of Madrid (1992) does not consider the species in any threat category.
Aparicio, R. J. 2014. Curruca zarcera Sylvia communis En: Enciclopedia Virtual de los Vertebrados Españoles. Salvador, A., Morales, M.B (Eds.). Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales. https://vertebradosibericos.org
BirdLife International 2024. IUCN Red List for birds. https://datazone.birdlife.org.
Díaz, M., Martí, R., Gómez-Manzaneque, Á. y Sánchez, A. 1994. Atlas de las aves nidificantes en Madrid. Agencia de Medio Ambiente y SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.
Keller, V., Herrando, S., Voříšek, P., Franch, M., Kipson, M., Milanesi, P., Martí, D., Antón, M., Klvaňová, A., Kalyakin, M. V. Bauer, H. Gr y Foppen, R. P. B. 2020. European Breeding Bird Atlas 2: Distribution, Abundance and Change. European Birds Census Council y Lynx Edicions. Barcelona.
SEO/BirdLife (Molina, B., Nebreda, A., Muñoz, A. R., Seoane, J., Real, R., Bustamante, J. y Del Moral, J. C., Eds.) 2022. III Atlas de las aves en época de reproducción en España. SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.
Tellería, J. L., Ramírez, A., Galarza, A., Carbonell, R., Pérez-Tris, J. y Santos, T. 2008. Geographical, landscape and habitat effects on birds in northern Spanish farmlands: implications for conservation. Ardeola, 55: 203-219.