These birds were formerly considered subspecies of the common chiffchaff but separated[1][2] due to their morphological, bioacoustical, and mtDNA sequence differences.

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.

The presence of this subspecies in Fuerteventura is merely hypothetical, as no specimen was ever collected there, nor are there reliable records from that island.

Perhaps its final disappearance is related to the destruction and/or transformation of the vegetation in the high zones of the Macizo de Famara.