Sykes's warbler

Sykes's warbler (Iduna rama) is an Old World warbler in the tree warbler family. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the booted warbler, but is now considered a full species. Its breeding range is from northeast Arabia to Turkestan, West China and Afghanistan. Like the booted warbler, many populations of the species migrate in winter to the Indian subcontinent as far south as Sri Lanka.

Sykes's warbler
Wintering in West Bengal, India
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Acrocephalidae
Genus:	Iduna
Species:	I. rama
Binomial name
Iduna rama (Sykes, 1832)
Synonyms
Hippolais rama Sykes, 1832

Etymology

in Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India.

The English name commemorates the Colonel William Henry Sykes who served in the British military in India.[1] Keyserling and Blasius gave no explanation of the genus name Iduna, though in Norse mythology Iðunn, or Iduna, is the goddess of spring and fertility who was changed into a sparrow to enable her rescue by Loki.[2] The specific epithet rama refers to the Hindu god Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu.[3]

Taxonomy

Molecular phylogeny studies in 2009 suggested a clade sister to Chloropeta and separate from Hippolais in the strict sense resulting in the removal of this species from the genus Hippolais and placement in a resurrected older genus name of Iduna.[4] There are differences in the nesting and egg morphology between rama and caligata.[5]

Habitat

Territory protecting from Lesser Whitethroat at Kutch

It is a small passerine found in open country with bushes and other tall vegetation. 3-4 eggs are laid in a nest in a bush or vegetation. Like most warblers they are insectivorous.

Description

It is a small warbler, especially compared to others in their genus. They are pale brown (weak tea colour) above and whitish below with buff flanks. The outer tail feathers have pale edges. They have a short pale supercilium, and the bill is strong and pointed. Sykes's is larger and greyer than booted, and most resembles an eastern olivaceous warbler.

References

1. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael (2003). Whose Bird? Men and Women Commemorated in the Common Names of Birds. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 332–333.
2. https://www.hbw.com/dictionary/key-to-scientific-names-in-ornithology?name=Iduna
3. Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 202, 330. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
4. Silke Fregin; Martin Haase; Urban Olsson; Per Alström (2009). "Multi-locus phylogeny of the family Acrocephalidae (Aves: Passeriformes) – The traditional taxonomy overthrown". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 52 (3): 866–878. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.04.006. PMID 19393746.
5. Castell, Peter; Guy M. Kirwan (2005). "Will the real Sykes's Warbler please stand up? Breeding data support specific status for Hippolais rama and H. caligata, with comments on the Arabian population of 'booted warbler'" (PDF). Sandgrouse. 27 (1): 30–36. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-23.