Curruca melanocephala
Curruca melanocephala
The Sardinian warbler (Curruca melanocephala) is a strictly circum-Mediterranean species (Keller et al., 2020; BirdLife International, 2024). It is mainly distributed across the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula and is also present in the Balearic and Canary Islands, as well as Ceuta and Melilla (Molina in SEO/BirdLife, 2022).
In Madrid, the species is widely distributed, being absent only in high mountain areas and the driest zones. It reaches maximum abundances in kermes oak scrublands, and to a lesser extent in olive groves and open Mediterranean forests (Díaz et al., 1994).
Within the national park, it is mostly found in the southernmost low-altitude areas. The highest densities occur southeast of La Pedriza and in the Dehesa Boyal, in dense shrublands and transitional habitats toward forests such as garrigues or juniper thickets.
The blackcap (Curruca cabecinegra) is a species adapted to a wide variety of habitats, but it is primarily associated with shrublands and Mediterranean forested environments such as holm oak woodlands and pine forests. It also occurs in tree crops, agroforestry mosaics, and urban parks with sufficient shrub cover (Aparicio, 2016).
Within the national park, its highest densities are found in low-altitude shrublands with scattered trees, mainly kermes oak and juniper scrub, and open riparian woodlands with abundant understory shrubs. It can also be observed in very open areas, but always where shrubs are present.
At a global scale, the blackcap (Curruca cabecinegra) is classified as Least Concern (LC; 2018). In Europe, it would also fall under the Least Concern category (LC; 2020). In Spain, it is listed as Least Concern in the 2021 Red List.
The Catalog of Threatened Species of the Community of Madrid (1992) does not include this species in any threat category.
Aparicio, R. J. 2016. Curruca Cabecinegra – Sylvia melanocephala. En: Enciclopedia Virtual de los Vertebrados Españoles. Salvador, A., Morales, M. B. (Eds.). Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid. http://www.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.