Afghanistan warbler (1 Viewer)

M

MarkMallalieu

Mark

• Nov 4, 2014

• #1

Any thoughts on this bird. Had identified as Sykes's Warbler, but lingering doubts...

 

Attachments

• 
  A_1.jpg

  564.3 KB · Views: 217
• 
  B_2.jpg

  523.5 KB · Views: 204

Richard Prior

Halfway up an Alp

• Nov 4, 2014

• #2

I've never seen Sykes', but comparing your photos to the illustration and description in my Collins it seems to tick the boxes, (bill, overall colour, no super behind the eye, short primary proj, etc etc.) Better wait for a second opinion though!

 

S

smiths

Well-known member

• Nov 4, 2014

• #3

Hi,
it is a Blyth's Reed Warbler.
The head pattern is too striking for a Sykes's, the alula is pale brown (like the rest of the plumage) and the iris is paler than the pupil.

 

rockfowl

Mark Andrews

• Nov 4, 2014

• #4

smiths said:

Hi,
it is a Blyth's Reed Warbler.
The head pattern is too striking for a Sykes's, the alula is pale brown (like the rest of the plumage) and the iris is paler than the pupil.

Click to expand...

Agreed

 

G

Giroud Marc

Well-known member

• Nov 4, 2014

• #5

IMO, the undertail coverts seem very short for an Acrocephalus... I'm in the Sykes's camp.

 

S

smiths

Well-known member

• Nov 4, 2014

• #6

In both photos we are looking at the upperside of the tail, so how could you possibly judge the length of the undertail coverts?

 

J

jalid

Well-known member

• Nov 4, 2014

• #7

Yes, Blyth's Reed. One good character separating Blyth's Reed from Sykes's is that the latter has more distinct pale fringes on greater coverts, tertials and secondaries. Of course, it can be Large-billed Reed Warbler...

 

M

MarkMallalieu

Mark

• Nov 5, 2014

• #8

Thanks all.

Photo c of same bird partly shows undertail-coverts.

Birds d and e are of a different individual: is this good for Sykes's? Also taken in central Kabul in August.

 

Attachments

• 
  c.jpg

  471.5 KB · Views: 89
• 
  d.jpg

  544.4 KB · Views: 116
• 
  e.jpg

  653.7 KB · Views: 99

B

BirdingRob

Brit abroad

• Nov 5, 2014

• #9

Mark,

I am intrigued about your view on the first bird. I have just read an article of yours where you name Blyth's reed warbler among the 4 common birds in Kabul. So what made you think this one might be different?

Rob

 

M

MarkMallalieu

Mark

• Nov 5, 2014

• #10

BirdingRob said:

Mark,

I am intrigued about your view on the first bird. I have just read an article of yours where you name Blyth's reed warbler among the 4 common birds in Kabul. So what made you think this one might be different?

Rob

Click to expand...

It was the first bird I'd seen in autumn and was a worn, bleached adult, so looked very different to the spring birds.

 

T

The Snapper

Well-known member

• Nov 5, 2014

• #11

MarkMallalieu said:

Thanks all.

Photo c of same bird partly shows undertail-coverts.

Birds d and e are of a different individual: is this good for Sykes's? Also taken in central Kabul in August.

Click to expand...

Tricky to say, but birds d & e look promising for Sykes's. The plumage looks overall very pale, the bill looks long and spikey without a dark tip, and the supercilium looks stronger in front of the eye and minimal behind it.

Any other photos showing tertials and primaries?

 

M

MarkMallalieu

Mark

• Nov 6, 2014

• #12

These may help, though all very poor shots. The first appears to show a newly moulted, darker tertial. I trapped several Blyth's Reed Warblers in autumn and none had any moult of the remiges.

The "milky tea" colour is genuine, not an artifact of light conditions.

NB this bird was photographed in August 2013, the previous birds in 2014. But I'm sure they show the same species and "d" and "e" of my earlier post.

 

Attachments

• 
  043ts.jpg

  543 KB · Views: 67
• 
  021ts.jpg

  381.3 KB · Views: 60
• 
  053tsa.jpg

  620.9 KB · Views: 54
• 
  060ts.jpg

  660.2 KB · Views: 54
• 
  250ts.jpg

  765.3 KB · Views: 48