Eastern Canary Islands Chiffchaff
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Canary Islands Chiffchaff or Lanzarote Island Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus canariensis exsul) was a subspecies
of the Canary Islands Chiffchaff
endemic
to the island of Lanzarote
- and possibly also Fuerteventura
- in the Canary Islands
, Spain
.
The Eastern Canary islands Chiffchaff was more chestnut-backed and shorter-winged than the Western Canary Islands Chiffchaff
, Phylloscopus canariensis canariensis. These birds were formerly considered subspecies of the Common Chiffchaff but separated (Clement & Helbig, 1998; Sangster et al., 2001) due to their morphological
, bioacoustical
, and mtDNA sequence
differences (Helbig et al., 1996).
Apparently this subspecies was already very rare at the moment of its description. A number of specimens were collected at the beginning of the 20th century in the valleys of Haría
(Lanzarote
). There it could be observed in broom thickets in the high and fresh zones. Since then there are only some doubtful records. The presence of this subspecies in Fuerteventura
is merely hypothetical, as no specimen was ever collected there, nor there are reliable records from that island. Apparently, a nest of this subspecies was found in 1986, but the biologist that claimed the discovery later confirmed that the subspecies is nowadays certainly extinct.
The cause of extinction is unknown. Perhaps its final disappearance is related to the destruction and/or transformation of the vegetation in the high zones of the Macizo de Famara.
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Canary Islands Chiffchaff
Canary Islands Chiffchaff
The Canary Islands Chiffchaff is a species of leaf warbler endemic to the Canary Islands, Spain. Sometimes the English name is spelled Canary Island Chiffchaff .- Taxonomy :...
endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to the island of Lanzarote
Lanzarote
Lanzarote , a Spanish island, is the easternmost of the autonomous Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 125 km off the coast of Africa and 1,000 km from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering 845.9 km2, it stands as the fourth largest of the islands...
- and possibly also Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura , a Spanish island, is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. It is situated at 28°20' north, 14°00' west. At 1,660 km² it is the second largest of the Canary Islands, after Tenerife...
- in the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
The Eastern Canary islands Chiffchaff was more chestnut-backed and shorter-winged than the Western Canary Islands Chiffchaff
Western Canary Islands Chiffchaff
The Western Canary Islands Chiffchaff is a small bird in the family Phylloscopidae. It is a subspecies of the Canary Islands Chiffchaff found on the islands of El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, Spain.Both the western and the now extinct eastern...
, Phylloscopus canariensis canariensis. These birds were formerly considered subspecies of the Common Chiffchaff but separated (Clement & Helbig, 1998; Sangster et al., 2001) due to their morphological
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
, bioacoustical
Bioacoustics
Bioacoustics is a cross-disciplinary science that combines biology and acoustics. Usually it refers to the investigation of sound production, dispersion through elastic media, and reception in animals, including humans. This involves neurophysiological and anatomical basis of sound production and...
, and mtDNA sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
differences (Helbig et al., 1996).
Haría, Las Palmas
Haría is a municipality in the northern portion of the island of Lanzarote in the Las Palmas province of the Canary Islands and is the northernmost and easternmost Canarian municipality...
(Lanzarote
Lanzarote
Lanzarote , a Spanish island, is the easternmost of the autonomous Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 125 km off the coast of Africa and 1,000 km from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering 845.9 km2, it stands as the fourth largest of the islands...
). There it could be observed in broom thickets in the high and fresh zones. Since then there are only some doubtful records. The presence of this subspecies in Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura , a Spanish island, is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. It is situated at 28°20' north, 14°00' west. At 1,660 km² it is the second largest of the Canary Islands, after Tenerife...
is merely hypothetical, as no specimen was ever collected there, nor there are reliable records from that island. Apparently, a nest of this subspecies was found in 1986, but the biologist that claimed the discovery later confirmed that the subspecies is nowadays certainly extinct.
The cause of extinction is unknown. Perhaps its final disappearance is related to the destruction and/or transformation of the vegetation in the high zones of the Macizo de Famara.
See also
- Extinct birdsExtinct birdsSince 1500, over 190 species of birds have become extinct, and this rate of extinction seems to be increasing. The situation is exemplified by Hawaii, where 30% of all known recently extinct bird taxa originally lived...
- List of extinct animals
- List of extinct animals of Europe