Winter sympatry of two Reed bunting  (Emberiza schoeniclus) subspecies in  the Venetian lagoon

AMATO S., TILOCA G. and MARIN G.

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Abstract:

Morphometric data were taken on 403 specimens of Reed bunting, mist-netted during a 7 year peri od on the northern border ofthe Venetian lagoon. Two morphs could be clearly identified on the basis of bili depht and wing lenght. The large-billed, short-winged morph (E. schoeniclus intermedia) was caught year round, while the other (E. schoeniclus schoeniclus) was caught only from October to March. The distributions ofbill depth ofthe two morphs showed some overlap that may suggest hybridization: birds of intermediate bili size, however, were never caught in summer months and their wing lenght was that of E. S. schoeniclus.