Yet another Saharan passerine - Aïr Mountains, Niger (1 Viewer)

Neil (London) · Jul 21, 2006

Thanks for all help so far from you guys at BirdForum on the birds of my Saharan trip. (Just as well - never did find a decent dedicated field guide).

This one was in the alleys of the little oasis-village of Timia, in the Aïr Mountains of Niger, 4th April 2006. Have I got myself a female Black-eared Wheatear, Oenanthe hispanica, here? Or, if not, what?

As before, confirmation or correction equally gratefully received.

Joern Lehmhus · Jul 21, 2006

as the tail is all black it shouldn´t be O. hispanica.I was thinking Blackstart,but ist looks indeed like a wheatear.... however having never seen desert wheatear and other possibilities there I can not be of more help...

Frenchy · Jul 21, 2006

Not a black-eared wheatear with that all black tail. Only thing i know with an all black tail is the blackstart, but the ones i've seen in Israel were much greyer than this bird. Could be a local race though? No idea of any more possibilities in Niger... :h?:

Frenchy · Jul 21, 2006

D'oh.

Desert wheatear. Of course!!!

Neil (London) · Jul 21, 2006

If only the pictures in the field guides, and BirdForum's splendid database and galleries were all as fuzzy as mine, enlarged from a poor-quality holiday snap (the best I could manage), I might have stood a chance with the comparison. They're all so crisp and clear. Also, you've no idea how glad I am I've learnt to recognise when something strange is a species of Wheatear. For me, this is progress.

Thanks for coming through!

Larry Sweetland · Jul 21, 2006

I could be wrong, but I don't think it's a Desert Wheatear. Tail looks too long and extensively black (beyond base ?) and flight feathers too pale. Did it pump it's tail regularly like Desert Wheatears do ? I'd keep up the Blackstart/ Rockchat type investigation...but who out there knows what lives up moutains in Niger ?

James Lowther · Jul 21, 2006

I imagine the saharan avifauna isn't *that* rich so there's probably not that many contenders.
the ilustration for blackstart in "birds of gambia and senegal" looks a lot more wheatear-like than the ones in the w.palearctic field guides so maybe the saharan birds do look different??

Bubbs · Jul 21, 2006

Could a localised form/morph of desert Red-rumped Wheatear be a contender? It does look very long-tailed and nothing like the Desert wheatears I've seen.

When are we going to get a good guide on Wheatears?

John.

Frenchy · Jul 21, 2006

john barclay said:
Could a localised form/morph of desert Red-rumped Wheatear be a contender? It does look very long-tailed and nothing like the Desert wheatears I've seen.

When are we going to get a good guide on Wheatears?

John.

Think ones just been published.
Agree that its not a desert wheatear. Primary projections too short as well.
Anyone know what Heuglin's wheatear looks like? The only picture i can find through google is a juv on surfbirds, and it seems to have a dark tail.

JANJ · Jul 21, 2006

Tail pattern does fit Blackstart better than Desert, agree with Larry. Race ultima would be the one in Mali and S. Niger, but how it differ from the eastern grey Blackstart I dont know, although in the first image it looks greyer.

JanJ

J Jones · Jul 21, 2006

Heuglin's have a generally dark tail, but still have a pale rump that extends on to the tail feathers. It would be noticeable in those images, anyway.... the plumage recalls Northern Wheatear a bit more I think(?)

Desert Wheatear seems closest...(?)

J Jones · Jul 21, 2006

Agreed tail seems closest to Blackstart - but surely this is a sandy coloured bird? On the whole it doesn't strike me as being like the Blackstarts I have seen.

Frenchy · Jul 21, 2006

Desert wheatear would also show a pale rump, with pale bases to the tail feathers. The rump on this looks black, but hard to be 100% sure. Would be nice to know what that ultima blackstart looks like....

JANJ · Jul 21, 2006

Heuglin´s doesn´t have an all dark tail, but a broad dark band covering half of the tail with white tail base and giving slight T-pattern. Also darker, dark brownish above with a dark eye mask, rufous-brown underparts with paler throat and a pale supercilium.

JanJ

Frenchy · Jul 21, 2006

So that rules out Heuglin's nicely. Any info on ultima Blackstart anyone?

Motmot · Jul 21, 2006

Ssp airensis (from Air Mountains, N Niger to C Sudan) of the Blackstart is described in HBW:
airensis is grey-brown above, buffish-grey on throat, with cheeks to flanks sandy-brown shading to cream. I guess this is the bird.

Frenchy · Jul 21, 2006

Sounds good to me. Nice one Motmot.

gerdwichers8 · Jul 21, 2006

Well, lesser and median coverts do match Desert Wheatear perfectly I must say.
There is nothing for Blackstart in it since it is an obvious wheatear.
But indeed, we can t see but an all black tail and no white uppertailcoverts.

gerdwichers8 · Jul 21, 2006

This bird has to be reckoned to be tricoloured on its upperparts, thats a no-no for Blackstart.
HBW says nothing about such a feature so different from the bicoulered (regarded the upperparts alone) other subspecies.

Xenospiza · Jul 21, 2006

It's a Blackstart. Check Borrow & Demey's Birds of Western Africa which depicts a race that looks strikingly similar.

Desert Wheatear would always have more blackish wing feathers, and the amount of black near its rump seems too big: I'm pretty sure in this posture you'd see a bit of white in Desert Wheatear.

Yet another Saharan passerine - Aïr Mountains, Niger (1 Viewer)

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