pale blue headed wagtail (1 Viewer)

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paulsullivan

Well-known member

• Apr 23, 2006

• #1

Attached are two pics of a very pale blue headed wagtail seen at Freiston Rspb since saturday (also present are two flava and fifty flavissima) and would be grateful for any opinion as to race, thanks
Paul

 

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dan pointon

Can't Stop

• Apr 23, 2006

• #2

Hi Paul,

I too saw a bird reminiscent of this earlier on today (had a slightly paler head), the only thing I could think of is a hybrid between Blue Headed (flava) and Yellow (flavisimma), which then bred again with a Yellow(flavissima), or something along those lines....

Cheers

 

Last edited: Apr 23, 2006

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Edward woodwood

Member

• Apr 23, 2006

• #3

looks at first glance to have some white-headed (!) in it but they have whiter throats and breasts, also seems to have some yellow in the super so i'd say it has some flavissima in it at least (as well as flava)

apparently, many birds of any grey-headed (small g!) subspecies lack yellow in the super

 

Last edited: Apr 23, 2006

Docmartin

Thought Police

• Apr 23, 2006

• #4

I would think it's a variation on flava x flavissima 'Channel Wagtail'

 

AlexC

Aves en Los Ángeles

Opus Editor

• Apr 23, 2006

• #5

Please excuse my ignorance, fellow birders. I recently purchased Lars Svensson et al's "The Complete Guide to the Birds of Europe," (for an upcoming trip in June to Italy-Autria-Germany) and he categorizes flavissima as a sub-species of Yellow Wagtail. Is it just that the book is not 100% up-to-date, or are we talking integrades?

 

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garry1366

Well-known member

• Apr 23, 2006

• #6

overworkedirish said:

Please excuse my ignorance, fellow birders. I recently purchased Lars Svensson et al's "The Complete Guide to the Birds of Europe," (for an upcoming trip in June to Italy-Autria-Germany) and he categorizes flavissima as a sub-species of Yellow Wagtail. Is it just that the book is not 100% up-to-date, or are we talking integrades?

Click to expand...

Hi,
Blue headed Wagtail (flava) is the species, flavissima is one of many subspecies.

G

 

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Edward woodwood

Member

• Apr 23, 2006

• #7

Yellow Wag is the species Motacilla flava

'Blue-headed' is the nominate sub M.f.flava

'Yellow' is M.f.flavissima

and 11 other races M.f. whatever

Tim

 

AlexC

Aves en Los Ángeles

Opus Editor

• Apr 23, 2006

• #8

Tim Allwood said:

and 11 other races M.f. whatever

Tim

Click to expand...

Hahaha, yes, Tim, I see those too in this book. I'm amazed at the differences between American and Eurasian birds - your warblers are our gnatcatchers (almost), our sparrows are you buntings - it's all quite overwhelming. Good thing I've got 2 months before the trip to learn as much as I can!

 

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paulsullivan

Well-known member

• Apr 24, 2006

• #9

Many thanks everyone, probably a flava/flavissima then, cheers
Paul