Charente, strange finch/bunting, 31/06/2023 (1 Viewer)

[Bewick]

I’m between a serin and a cirl bunting on these images. Appreciate any other opinions. I did not get a good look at the bird on the field and only got these bad images. Head pattern looks vaguely good for a serin but its overall plumage tone seems better for a cirl bunting.

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,

difficult for me too. But its a Serin imo:

• head pattern is good for a Serin for me too, including very narrow supercilium and just guessable yellow forehead
• I am not so sure about colour tones: yellow seems good for Serin, and yes, within variation for a Cirl Bunting. But many are warmer, creamer or more buffish-orangey than your bird
• taken all pictures together, bill seems stubby
• yes, "tramline" pattern on the back with much grey between dark tramlines seems much better for Bunting than for a Serin for me too. (So I skip this. Advisable?)
• I have seen Serins with similar pale grey backs without any colour tinge (at least in the field) before, but I havent found a picture online during a quick search
• my impression is, that the parallel, narrow and whitish wingbars are better for a Serin
• the appearant full and broad tail is an artefact imo, just bad placed vegetation???

Conclusion? After looking at your pictures, its still a hard one for me (can I blame picture quality??? I hope so), but like you, your bird seems to have a convincing Serin head (and a stubby bill?), so I think its a Serin as said.

I assume, that you havent more pictures?

 

[Bewick]

Hello,

difficult for me too. But its a Serin imo:

• head pattern is good for a Serin for me too, including very narrow supercilium and just guessable yellow forehead
• I am not so sure about colour tones: yellow seems good for Serin, and yes, within variation for a Cirl Bunting. But many are warmer, creamer or more buffish-orangey than your bird
• taken all pictures together, bill seems stubby
• yes, "tramline" pattern on the back with much grey between dark tramlines seems much better for Bunting than for a Serin for me too. (So I skip this. Advisable?)
• I have seen Serins with similar pale grey backs without any colour tinge (at least in the field) before, but I havent found a picture online during a quick search
• my impression is, that the parallel, narrow and whitish wingbars are better for a Serin
• the appearant full and broad tail is an artefact imo, just bad placed vegetation???

Conclusion? After looking at your pictures, its still a hard one for me (can I blame picture quality??? I hope so), but like you, your bird seems to have a convincing Serin head (and a stubby bill?), so I think its a Serin as said.

I assume, that you havent more pictures?

Sadly not, however I would have a pair of serin visiting the garden only a few days later. I agree though, I think it's more likely a Serin.

 

[Bewick]

Here's a Serin that was pictured yesterday in the garden, appears to be extremely similar to the one photographed a few days before- possibly the same individual.

 

[lou salomon]

it's serin, in the first pics also.