• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

putative pied wagtail yarelli in Romania (1 Viewer)

Szabo Jozsef

Well-known member
Hello,
some days ago in southern romania took this picture of a wagtail which appeared to be quite contrastingly black and white. I've took around 20 pictures but couldn't capture one where the flanks are visible (which, as far as I know are supposed to be black at yarelli) because of the strong wind.
At normal central-eastern european males there is a rather sharp line between the black head and grey back
Can anybody help with the id of this wagtail?
thx
Jozsef
 

Attachments

  • mot alb.JPG
    mot alb.JPG
    273.3 KB · Views: 509
Hi. It certainly looks the same as a female "pied" in my garden thid morning! The same black/grey on back and similar size black bib
 
Yes it seems to be a "yarrellii" Wagtail. Certainly seems to have too much black on the mantle for an "alba".

I presume this is unusual for Romania? are you going to report it?
 
If I tilt my screen at an angle this bird appears to have a black upper back but a grey lower back leading down to the invisible rump. Plus the wing coverts are pale grey and the flanks look too white for a proper Pied.
Could it be an intergrade?

Steve
 
If I tilt my screen at an angle this bird appears to have a black upper back but a grey lower back leading down to the invisible rump. Plus the wing coverts are pale grey and the flanks look too white for a proper Pied.
Could it be an intergrade?

Steve

I suspect Steve may be onto something; you get the same effect by brightening the image.

James
 

Attachments

  • mot%20alb.JPG
    mot%20alb.JPG
    261.5 KB · Views: 302
Here is a photo of a yarelli I took a few weeks ago in Ireland (for comparison).
I think there are a few differences!

Michael O'Keeffe took a few shots of an odd yarelli in Ireland a few weeks ago. The bird had dark ear coverts(as far as i can remember ) a bit like the Morrocan sub species. I wonder does the odd alba Wagtail show a dark mantle? Possibly genetic throw backs ?
 

Attachments

  • piwag[1].JPG
    piwag[1].JPG
    93.1 KB · Views: 341
Last edited:
I don't think it's a pure yarelli. It is too clean on the flanks (yarelli is much more grey on the flanks, as the Irish pic above shows), and the contrast in the black mantle and grey scapulars is something you don't really see in yarelli - they're either blackish all over or dull greyish all over.

It may be some kind of hybrid/intergrade, but it's not a typical yarelli imo.

I did notice that it is a first-year, as it has a good moult limit in the greater coverts. I haven't got Svensson with me, but don't wagtails have a spring moult? If so, it could maybe a 1st winter bird (are 1st winter male pieds greyer?) moulting into darker first summer plumage, which would fit ok with Pied?????
 
Last edited:
This bird bears a resemblance to 3 birds that I saw in different locations in southern Crete last week. I have put some pictures here:
http://www.magikbirds.com/image.asp?search=0&title_id=1093&show_thumbnails=True
They struck us as distinctly odd for Pied Wagtails, apart from which Crete is well outside the normal winter range of Pied. 3 hybrids in different locations also seems beyond reasonable probability. So, are they Pied Wagtails in an unfamiliar plumage (we never look at common birds carefully enough), or is this another taxon?
Dick Newell
Cambridge
 
This bird bears a resemblance to 3 birds that I saw in different locations in southern Crete last week. I have put some pictures here:
http://www.magikbirds.com/image.asp?search=0&title_id=1093&show_thumbnails=True
They struck us as distinctly odd for Pied Wagtails, apart from which Crete is well outside the normal winter range of Pied. 3 hybrids in different locations also seems beyond reasonable probability. So, are they Pied Wagtails in an unfamiliar plumage (we never look at common birds carefully enough), or is this another taxon?
Dick Newell
Cambridge

All of these 'odd' Pieds appear to show a clear thin area of white separating the bib from the scaps/mantle area, which I always thought was one feature of White Wag, but clearly these aren't Whites as I know them, so I'm a bit confused here...
 
What might seem odd about the Romanian bird being a possible yarrellii is the lack of obvious dark flanks and breast sides although the grey that´s actually visible is dark enough.
Sexing 2cy yarrellii in spring is quite difficult if not impossible on plumage characters, but the Romanian bird is probably a male due to extensive seemingly solid blackish upperparts, with upper mantle connecting to the nape without any obvious contrast, the amount of white on the forehead and a fairly sharp division between blackish crown and white forehead.
As can be seen the obvious contrast in the greater coverts between fresher inners and worn outers is a good indication for a 2cy, less obvious contrast in 3cy birds, which also has less worn primaries and tertials, note the heavily worn inner tertial indicating 2cy. It also seem to have one moult contrast - moult contrast is rather difficult to see properly unless in the hand as sometimes the possible juvenile greater coverts are hidden and not visible in a field situationand - if two moult contrasts are visible, then there´s no doubt about the age - which then is 2cy.
Take a look at this 2cy yarrellii from Sweden 22.3. 2007 and note the two moult contrasts in the greater coverts, leaving no doubt as to it´s age. The inner two (third generation) with wide white tips and edges has been newly moulted as 2cy while the middle ones are second generation shifted in the post juvenile moult as a 1cy. The remaining outers are juvenile feathers - worn to bits. Also note the inner tertial and the worn brownish primaries and primary coverts.

Taken 22.3 2007 by Mattias Ullman

http://www.skof.se/rrk/2007_03220079liten2.jpg

http://www.skof.se/rrk/2007_03220098liten.jpg

DN,´s birds on 15.3 are rather similar also according to flank markings.

I´d say the Romanian birds are more likely yarrellii - but these are tricky!!

JanJ
 
Last edited:
Warning! This thread is more than 16 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top