Conservation status:
Not Threatened
Phylogeny:
Taxonomy: Sylvia Juncidis Rafinesque, 1810, Roccella, Sicily. Forms a superspecies with C. haesitatus and C. cherina; sometimes considered conspecific with former. Racial identity of birds in S New Guinea not yet certain; they show some characters of laveryi, but might belong to an as yet undescribed race. Eighteen subspecies currently recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Distribution:
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * cisticola (cisticola Temminck, 1820) - W France, Iberian Peninsula, Balearic Is and NW Africa. * juncidis (juncidis Rafinesque, 1810) - S France E to Balkans, Greece, Turkey and Syria, also Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Crete and Egypt. * neuroticus neuroticus R. Meinertzhagen, 1920 - Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq and W Iran. * uropygialis (uropygialis Fraser, 1843) - Senegal E to Eritrea, Ethiopia, SW Arabia and N Kenya. * perennius perennius Lynes, 1930 - E DRCongo, Uganda, Kenya and N Tanzania, including islands of Pemba, Zanzibar and Mafia. * terrestris (terrestris A. Smith, 1842) - Gabon and PRCongo, Angola, S DRCongo and S Tanzania S to South Africa. * cursitans (cursitans Franklin, 1831) - E Afghanistan and Pakistan E to N Myanmar and S China (W Yunnan), S to SE India and Sri Lanka (dry lowlands). * salimalii salimalii Whistler, 1936 - SW India (Kerala). * omalurus omalurus Blyth, 1851 - Sri Lanka (except low-lying dry areas). * malaya malaya Lynes, 1930 - S Myanmar, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Nicobar Is, Sumatra and W Java. * brunniceps (brunniceps Temminck & Schlegel, 1850) - S Korea, Japan (S from Honshu, including Ryukyu Is and Izu Is) and extreme N Philippines (Batan Is). * tinnabulans (tinnabulans Swinhoe, 1859) - SE China, Taiwan, Hainan, Indochina and Philippines (except Batan Is, Culion and Palawan). * nigrostriatus nigrostriatus Parkes, 1971 - Culion and Palawan (W Philippines). * fuscicapilla fuscicapilla Wallace, 1864 - E Java, Kangean Is and Lesser Sundas (E to Timor, Wetar, Kisar, Leti and Moa). * constans constans Lynes, 1938 - Sulawesi and adjacent islands (including Muna, Butung, Tukangbesi and Peleng). * leanyeri leanyeri Givens & Hitchcock, 1953 - coastal areas of N Australia (extreme NE Western Australia and Northern Territory). * normani normani Mathews, 1914 - NW Queensland (S Gulf of Carpentaria), in N Australia. * laveryi laveryi Schodde & Mason, 1979 - E Gulf of Carpentaria and C Queensland coast, in NE Australia; also (possibly this race) S New Guinea.
Taxonomic name: