Glossary entry

Italian term or phrase:

beccamoschino iberico

English translation:

Iberian (subspecies of) Fan-tailed Warbler/Iberian zitting cisticola

Added to glossary by Umberto Cassano
Feb 1, 2007 13:24
17 yrs ago
Italian term

beccamoschino iberico

Italian to English Other Zoology
è abitata da piante come l’erica e il rosmarino, da uccelli come la cinciallegra algerina e il ***beccamoschino iberico***, e da rettili come il colubro sardo.

Discussion

Umberto Cassano (asker) Feb 2, 2007:
It's one of the most informative and thought-provoking answers I've ever read so far in this list. Grazie !

Proposed translations

+1
19 hrs
Selected

Iberian (subspecies of) Fan-tailed Warbler

The text is looking to highlight rare subspecies, and to attract naturalists and birdwatchers to visit. And while "cinciallegra algerina" is fine as a distinguishable type of Blue Tit (looks very different), it perhaps goes rather too far with the concept of a "beccamoschino iberico", which will only be recognisable to the most expert naturalists.
It's the subspecies Cisticola juncidis cisticola (as opposed to the nominate Cisticola juncidis juncidis) and does not appear to have a common or vernacular name (see http://www.biologie.uni-ulm.de/cgi-bin/query_all/details.pl?...

But Umberto has to get across the idea of the biodiversity of this habitat, so he needs to differentiate it from places like the field on the way to my kids' school where there are two Zitting Cisticolas fighting for supremacy at the moment. Just writing Zitting Cisticola will make readers in the know say "So what?" (a bit like the Mediterranean equivalent of saying there are Blackbirds in your garden!)

Fan-tailed Warbler or Zitting Cisticola? If the text is for attracting tourists, then use Fan-tailed, if for scientists use Zitting Cisticola.

So I would suggest a descriptive term such as "Iberian subspecies of Fan-tailed Warbler" or - if space is an issue - "Iberian Zitting Cisticola"

By the way, it's called a Zitting Cisticola because before and during the breeding season the male flies quite high up into the air (so it's often invisible) and makes a huge ZIT ZIT ZIT ZIT ZIT noise throughout the hours of daylight, repelling all other males that dare come into the vicinity.
Peer comment(s):

agree Rachel Fell : yes, I had an idea that's what was meant, a subsp., but didn't get a chance to find out more on it
40 mins
thanks Rachel - yes, hearing natural sounds adds an extra dimension to the day, especially when you come to realise the desperate life-or-death struggle the sound is based on!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "It's one of the most informative and thought-provoking answer I've ever read so far in this list. Grazie !"
-1
46 mins

Iberian Chiffchaff

hope it helps

cheers
Peer comment(s):

disagree Anthony Green : No, that's a "Luì piccolo iberico", a completely different species. It would be terrible if someone went all the way from northern Europe to this island (?) to see a rare Iberian Chiffchaff, just to find it was "only" a subspecies of Fan-tailed Warbler!
18 hrs
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+1
3 hrs

zitting cisticola

think it's this:


The Zitting Cisticola, Cisticola juncidis, is an Old World warbler in the genus Cisticola. This genus is sometimes split off with various other southern warbler genera and given family status as the Cisticolidae. This species was previously known as Fan-tailed Warbler , but the current name gives consistency with the many tropical cisticola species.

It has a very wide breeding range including southern Europe, Africa outside the deserts and rainforest, and southern Asia down to northern Australia. It is mainly resident, but some east Asian populations migrate south to winter in warmer areas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zitting_Cisticola

http://ebn.unige.ch/ebn/paleo/pale67.html

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Note added at 3 hrs (2007-02-01 16:40:42 GMT)
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or fan-tailed warbler
Zitting Cisticola ______ BU SP TU (has also been called Fan-tailed Warbler)
Cisticola j. juncidis (except SP)
Cisticola juncidis cisticola (SP)


http://www.focusonnature.com/BirdListEurope.htm

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Note added at 3 hrs (2007-02-01 16:42:23 GMT)
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nice pic.
http://www.oiseaux.net/photos/gilbert.blaising/cisticole.des...
Peer comment(s):

agree Ivana UK
2 hrs
Thank you Ivana!
neutral Anthony Green : It's partly right - the beccamoschino (two of which I heard going ZIT today) is a "Zitting Cisticola" in the new nomenclature, but a Fan-tailed Warbler to most naturalists. But Umberto is looking for the Iberian subspecies, Cisticola juncidis cisticola
15 hrs
nice that you can hear them!
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