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Woodchat Shrike-racial ID (1 Viewer)

HH75

Well-known member
Ireland
Hi all,
While looking through the gallery late last night,I came across the following photo of a Woodchat Shrike by Micky:
http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=11033&password=&sort=1&cat=530&page=1
I couldn't help but notice that it already seemed to be progressing towards an adult-type plumage(some rufous appearing on nape,large white scapular patches),and also had a large pale patch at the base of the primaries.These features would lead me to believe that the bird is of the race niloticus.
Has the subspecies been recorded in Great Britain before?
Harry H
 
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Hi Harry,

I can see the logic of your argument, the early acquisition of some adult like patterning may be particularly important. The primary patch is huge too but I wonder if a safe identification can be made before some characteristically patterned adult tail feathers are present.

Spud
 
Hi Spud,
I too wonder if the bird can be safely assigned to niloticus,not having seen any photos of this race.I do feel that it is an excellent candidate,though!Has it been trapped at all;maybe biometrics would be of use?
Harry H
 
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Harry,

You'll be interested to here that the bird is being formally claimed as the first niloctus for Britain. This information is briefly detailed here where pics of the bird are available:

http://www.pennington.charitydays.co.uk/latestbirds.htm

Scroll down the page to read the comment under Oct 3rd and click the link for pics, I don't know how long this particular link to the bird will remain active though.

Spud
 
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Another thought . . .

Lanius senator niloticus pretty much shares its range with Lanius nubicus . . .

If we can get the one, no reason we can't get the other . . . roll on Masked Shrike :t:

Michael
 
Spud,

There is an archive to 1 Jan on another page including pictures, so it should be possible to access the photographs through this site to the end of the year at least.

Regards,

Stephen.
 
Hi Spud,
"You'll be interested to here that the bird is being formally claimed as the first niloctus for Britain. This information is briefly detailed here where pics of the bird are available"
I've been vindicated!One of the hidden benefits of having to research the ID of Woodchat Shrike forms before writing that article on the putative(?)badius here in Ireland!;-)
Harry H
 
Actually these two cases of aberrantly pale Woodchat Shrikes from Bulgaria pertained to the so-called mutations "brown" and "dilution". We succeeded in finding these birds in two consecutive years in distantly placed areas in the country.
Except for these two birds we found only one other previously recorded pale L. senator, from Africa (Mali).

The above-described cases were published in "Dutch Birding" magazine. For those interested, I could send pdf-version via email.

Greetings from Bulgaria!
Boris
 
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