Bunting, Moscow region, RU (1 Viewer)

[Sanya]

Can someone say something about this bird? Rustic? Little?

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Looks ok for Little to me, but difficult to make out much detail. The pale mark on the ear coverts and the chestnut "bandit mask" appear to be present and correct.

 

[Nutcracker]

I'd not want to rule out Reed Bunting from these pics; that's a lot commoner in the Moscow area. Little & Rustic both barely more than vagrants in that region, you need to go a lot further north to get into their breeding grounds.

 

[CARERY]

Not easy these pics - quality and angle. But why not a Yellowhammer? The pale ear-spot looks just right for that.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

I am with Roland, that this is one to ask for more picures/better quality.
I looked at these yesterday and even thought, that maybe two birds might be envolved:
picture 1 and 3 seems a possible Yellowhammer to me as Roland said: head pattern with broad supercilium, widest behind eye in a triangular shape, pale spot on all dark ear-coverts and broad triangular malar stripe are good, as is yellow wash to face and belly(looked at this picture on two different screens). But as bill seems small and pointy in all pictures, and blackish straking to breast with unmarked belly is unusual for Yellowhammer but within variation.
Second picture with appearent very narrow straight supercilium of even wide gave this bird a Reed Bunting feeling to me (with bill shape and size better for this, but within variation for Yellwhammer) , but this might be due to alerted posture with flat, depressed crown in this single picture (representing the jizz of only a fraction of a second).
But: Roland is right, all these points can be explained by artefacts due to picture quality (as allways no offense!)

Conclusion: more pictures please, that might proof that this is indeed a Yellowhammer (thats the species I would say it is, if I had to put a name on this bird). But I still have the feeling that I digged out to much in these pictures.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Moscow is 700km South from St Petersburg but our Yellowhammers are gone by now, never seen one in winter in ten years.

 

[Nutcracker]

Moscow is 700km South from St Petersburg but our Yellowhammers are gone by now, never seen one in winter in ten years.

Exif date on the pics 31 Oct in case that makes any difference :t:

 

[Sanya]

Thanks all for comments!
Sorry, did not write, pics from nov 07, one bird.
I have not better pics and have to be considered yellowhammer. May be. :^)

Little & Rustic both barely more than vagrants in that region

But i saw one Rustic in Moscow, late october 2018. ;^) And 1-2 every autumn in region from another watchers.

never seen one in winter in ten years.

Yellowhammers not so rare in Moscow region in winter. Near barnyards usually.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

This is not identifiable imo, there’s simply not enough detail and too much artefact to identify/separate a possible choice of f/1w bunting species. Several bunting sp have a pale ear covert spot so not too much weight could be given to that. Yellowhammer is possible but the relatively straight lower mandible doesn’t have the right shape imo. Are 1 and 3 different species to 2? I’m with Nutcracker, I don’t think a Reed Bunting can be ruled out here either.

 

[KenM]

FWIW the culmen looks straight to my eye, the eye-ring (even allowing for the poor images) looks distinct and contrasting pale tips to the greater/median covert bars might favour Little Bunting over the other two mentioned candidates?

Cheers

 

[Sanya]

Are 1 and 3 different species to 2?

Same bird on all photos.

 

[Jos Stratford]

I'd not want to rule out Reed Bunting from these pics; that's a lot commoner in the Moscow area. Little & Rustic both barely more than vagrants in that region.

So late in the year, Reed Buntings will also be absent or extremely rare in the Moscow region. Even here in Lithuania, Reed Buntings are totally gone by now (bar a rare individual or two on the coast). I have seen Little Bunting later in the year than Reed Bunting (despite Little being an extreme rarity, Reed a common breeder). Yellowhammers do winter in small numbers.

 

[Sanya]

Thanks for comments again
On the spot, I could not see anything in the direction of the sun. Already at home, looking at the photo, I did not think at all about Reed Bunting and forgot about Yellowhammer. Maybe, because the bird seemed small.

I paid attention only to the white ear dot and stripes on the wing. :^))

 

[dantheman]

Jizz wise it looks small and good for Little Bunting as opposed to Reed or Yellowhammer.

But that's little more than an opinion, pose may be playing a part, and others may think the jizz different or indistinguishable!