• 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.

bunting maybe? UK (1 Viewer)

jc001

Well-known member
hello!
after a quick look in the book i wondered if it might be a cirl or yellowhammer ? but im not good with some bunting types.
Any ideas? I have a few more equally bad long distance pics if it helps.
It was up on a hill on the west sussex downs.
thanks;
jc
 

Attachments

  • buntingish.jpg
    buntingish.jpg
    70 KB · Views: 969
Maybe it's the pic but I thought I could see coverts with white tips (probably just the way the pic looks), other than that I have to agree with Reed Bunt.
 
Female reed bunting looks good for me, theres a few reeds a mile or so down the hill (if that even matters out of breeding season?)

Added a few more pics as requested, but non were equally as bad, theyre worse! and no side profile shots. full scope-zoom in strong wind is my excuse.

thanks for the help:)
 

Attachments

  • buntingish1.jpg
    buntingish1.jpg
    47.6 KB · Views: 442
  • buntingish2.jpg
    buntingish2.jpg
    46 KB · Views: 510
Good spot for Corn Bunting too, maybe more likely up on a hill on the Downs. I assume that bill is actually grey rather than just showing a grey tinge on upper mandible? Not a very clear pic but might explain the covert pattern.

http://www.birdphoto.fi/lajikuvat/kuvahtml/1embcal110.html

http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=21120

http://waarneming.nl/foto/view/608452

http://waarneming.nl/foto/view/608452

http://waarneming.nl/foto/view/285097

maybe look through some of the above, personally not entirely convinced about a Reed Bunting, could be - photo a little challenging!
 
Last edited:
I have to agree with Johnny Allan and Flemingo, these white tips of the median coverts are strange (the rest of the bird seems to look good for a Reed Bunting).
 
Last edited:
As others have mentioned the nice pale (white) tips to both the median and greater coverts forming two wing bars in two of the three posted shots, the suggestion of a pale ear covert spot and the appearance of rather warm uppertail coverts in at least the first shot would leave a slight question mark with me on this one. Some of it could be the old digital-enhancement syndrome and I'm sure that this is just a well marked Reed Bunting as others have suggested but I reckon I'd go and have another look!
 
It is too bad that there are no better images of this bird. To me, the white tips to the median coverts seem real (not an artefact), and would safely rule out Reed Bunting. Perhaps the ear-coverts seem rather well-marked and rufous too for this species, but the photographs are simply not good enough to reliably judge this.

Now - I am not sure - but such things may suggest something far more rare and exotic. In particular, my thoughts drifted to Chestnut-eared Bunting... I have no experience with that species, but I know that some autumn birds can look quite dull (like this one). I suggest it could be worth to go back and look for the bird again, perhaps...
 
It is too bad that there are no better images of this bird. To me, the white tips to the median coverts seem real (not an artefact), and would safely rule out Reed Bunting. Perhaps the ear-coverts seem rather well-marked and rufous too for this species, but the photographs are simply not good enough to reliably judge this.

Now - I am not sure - but such things may suggest something far more rare and exotic. In particular, my thoughts drifted to Chestnut-eared Bunting... I have no experience with that species, but I know that some autumn birds can look quite dull (like this one). I suggest it could be worth to go back and look for the bird again, perhaps...

Interesting thought! I am familiar with Chestnut-eared and they do tend to look a little more like this in Autumn - http://orientalbirdimages.org/searc...esult&Bird_ID=1929&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1 and generally appear slightly long-tailed

I'm glad I'm not the only one with a few reservations and agree the images are not good enough to reliably judge this, interestingly, I had another possibility in mind ;)
 
Last edited:
sod it - you can all laugh if you like, but it makes me think Corn Bunting, extremely well-marked but that bill looks massive on my screen.
 
Last edited:
It had occurred to me, though the bill doesn't look right, other features could be rather suggestive ..

I'm not saying it isn't a Reed, just surprised that there haven't been too many questions regarding a few anomalies!

I'm not laughing Nick, I can see where you're coming from, but the bird for me is just too bright and more Reed like..
 
Last edited:
IMO it doesn't look good for a Rustic Bunting, for example the head pattern doesn't look contrasty enough, the flank streaking doesn't look that rufous and the rump looks greyish (in fact the uppertail coverts look chestnut coloured and the rest of the rump grey, which fits better at least Reed Bunting). I have never seen a Chestnut-eared Bunting, but compared to photos on the net the wings look too long.

Edit: On a Rustic Bunting the supercilium should also be darker in front of the eye.
 
Last edited:
IMO it doesn't look good for a Rustic Bunting, for example the head pattern doesn't look contrasty enough, the flank streaking doesn't look that rufous and the rump looks greyish (in fact the uppertail coverts look chestnut coloured and the rest of the rump grey, which fits better at least Reed Bunting). I have never seen a Chestnut-eared Bunting, but compared to photos on the net the wings look too long.

Edit: On a Rustic Bunting the supercilium should also be darker in front of the eye.

I would agree Cau (as usual and If I really thought it was a Rustic, I'd have definately said so), and other than the high probability that is just an unusual Reed (certainly agree with the grey central rump even though the fringes appear bright) but am surprised that it was a Id'ed as 'Reed' so easily. On Rustic the supercilium should be darker in front of the eye, true, though not always the case (I'm fortunate to see alot in China) in appearance anyway, especially in images as bleachy as these. I'm certainly not going to be stating this as anything other than probable Reed but with an element of doubt should it be on my patch, i'd be out there making damm sure! ;)
 
Last edited:
am surprised that it was a Id'ed as 'Reed' so easily.

I agree with that, I didn't comment on the bird at first, because I wasn't completely sure what it is. Having said that, Reed Bunting is perhaps the most plausible alternative, and I've seen blurry pictures of Reed Buntings with white looking wingbands before (I've put it down to a photographic artefact, but can't unfortunately remember where the pictures were).
 
Warning! This thread is more than 15 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