In April 2007, Arnoud and René travelled to Marettimo in the Egadi islands off Sicily to photograph and sound record Mediterranean Storm Petrels Hydrobates melitensis for our book Petrels night and day (2008). While visiting Sicily, they also took the opportunity to catch up with some Sicilian specialities.
On the northern slopes of Mount Etna there are old lava fields where Sicilian Partridges Alectoris whitakeri make their home. Plenty of places to hide: sound recording them proved easier than making photographs. Etna has extensive forests of Black Pine Pinus nigra, and Red Crossbills Loxia curvirostra are fairly common. The individuals Arnoud sound recorded do not belong to one of the widespread northern European vocal types, and probably constitute a local, resident population.
Mount Soro in northern Sicily has two endemic subspecies of tits. Sicilian Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus siculus looks very distinctive indeed, but its sounds are not strikingly different from those of other European populations of Long-tailed Tit. By contrast, Sicilian Marsh Tit Poecile palustris siculus uses more melodic song variants than its northern relatives. Beyond Sicily, we have never recorded a song type like the one presented here.
Eastern Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans is a common species in Sicily, with a turbulent taxonomic history. It was only in the last few years that populations from Sicily and southern Italy (nominate cantillans) came to be included in Eastern Subalpine, together with the eastern subspecies albistriata. However, calls from Sicily are rarely a doubled tret as those of albistriata tend to be. There is still much work to be done in unravelling song differences between the members of the subalpine warbler complex.
Habitat of Sicilian Partridge Alectoris whitakeri: lava field near Castiglione, Sicily, Italy, 15 April 2007 (René Pop)
Sicilian PartridgeAlectoris whitakeri, Castiglione, Sicily, Italy, 7:51, 15 April 2007 (Arnoud B van den Berg). Songs of two individuals. Background: Eurasian Magpie Pica pica, Hooded Crow Corvus cornix, Woodlark Lullula arborea, Common Blackbird Turdus merulaand Eastern Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans.
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra, Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy, 21 April 2007 (René Pop)
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra, Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy, 12:43, 21 April 2007 (Arnoud B van den Berg). Song of two males, presumably from the resident population. Background: Coal Tit Periparus aterand picnic-goers.
Sicilian Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus siculus, Monte Soro, Sicily, Italy, 16 April 2007 (René Pop)
Sicilian Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus siculus, Monte Soro, Sicily, Italy, 17:21, 20 April 2007 (Arnoud B van den Berg). Various calls from a pair. Background: Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus, Hooded Crow Corvus cornix, Woodlark Lullula arboreaand Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs.
Sicilian Marsh TitPoecile palustris siculus, Monte Soro, Sicily, Italy, 14 April 2007 (René Pop)
Sicilian Marsh TitPoecile palustris siculus, Monte Soro, Sicily, Italy, 19:04, 14 April 2007 (Arnoud B van den Berg). Rippling, melodic song type. Background: Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorusand European Robin Erithacus rubecula.
Eastern Subalpine WarblerSylvia cantillans cantillans, Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy, 16 April 2007 (René Pop). Tail pattern atypical for Eastern, which usually has a white wedge from the tip along the inner web of t5. Broad white moustache and red largely limited to throat are more typical of Eastern. Svensson (2013), shows some individuals lacking the white wedge on t5.
Svensson, L 2013. Subalpine Warbler variation and taxonomy. British Birds 106: 651-668.
Eastern Subalpine WarblerSylvia cantillans cantillans, Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy, 08:04, 16 April 2007 (Arnoud B van den Berg). Song of a male. Background: Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops, Woodlark Lullula arboreaand Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus.