European Pied or Collard Flycatcher? (1 Viewer)

[Gunner92]

Hi,

would need some help with the identification of the young flycatcher in the pictures.

shot: Hohenau / Austria



Many thanks for any input

 

[Jane Turner]

The primary patch strongly suggests Collared. Can't recall if the tertial/tail pattern is a match - and my the time I've looked it up, someone will have nailed it!

 

[Jacana]

Collared for me, that's would be a lot of white on the wing for a Pied. Faint hint of a grey collar too.

 

[Gunner92]

@Jane Turner: "- and my the time I've looked it up, someone will have nailed it!"

I´m sorry my English isn´t that good |8(| could you explain what you mean by "someone will have nailed it!"

 

[Zheljko]

That means that someone would find a definite precise answer.

 

[phil baber]

I think the idiom "we've nailed the identification" applies. It's a Collared. IMHO.

 

[lou salomon]

in my opinion too. adult female collared. greyish cast to neck, lots of white on outer primary bases (which in a very few pied comes close) and tertials (more than half of outer sides) and it's bit early for pieds to get spread around.

 

[AlfArbuthnot]

Shouldn't that rump be paler on a Collared?

Edit: just noticed pic1 shows the rump best, and there's a paler area. That should be enough for a Collared.

 

[lou salomon]

if it was that easy - pieds can show a paler rump too. http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=55015

 

[Tib78]

With that primary pannel it certainly looks like a Collared.

Yet, despite clear sing of wear to the tail and flight feathers I don't think the bird is adult. Isn't it more likely to be a 1cy with such a neat step on the fringing of the middle tertial? Also the primary coverts look rather pointed (at least the outer ones).

 

[lou salomon]

With that primary pannel it certainly looks like a Collared.

Yet, despite clear sing of wear to the tail and flight feathers I don't think the bird is adult. Isn't it more likely to be a 1cy with such a neat step on the fringing of the middle tertial? Also the primary coverts look rather pointed (at least the outer ones).

might the tertials (maybe only upper two) not be already renewed like the outermost 3 secondary greater coverts (yellowish fringes)? to me strong wear in rectrices tips indicates this has bird has bred (in a narrow nest hole) and thus being an adult female.

 

[Tib78]

might the tertials (maybe only upper two) not be already renewed like the outermost 3 secondary greater coverts (yellowish fringes)? to me strong wear in rectrices tips indicates this has bird has bred (in a narrow nest hole) and thus being an adult female.

Lou,

When I opened the pics I thought the same: such a worn bird can only be an adult (2cy+), especially at this time of the year.

But if one analyses the plumage pattern, all the elements point towards a 1cy bird, namely:

- steep step on tertial fringing (the tertials are way too fresh to be one year old and anyway all birds have a pre-breeding moult that normally includes the tertials), see: http://birdingfrontiers.com/2010/08/18/pied-flycatcher/pied-fly-1-2-labelled-2/
The bird used as an example in birding frontiers is of course a Pied. But AFAIK, this features works with all 3 species of black and white Ficedula and is diagnostic.

- it's mostly the outer tail feathers that are worn, the central pairs are in better condition and they are pointed (= juv)

- the outer greater coverts you mention have indeed buffish fringes, which is a further point in favour of 1cy bird.

 

[lou salomon]

thanks tibault. and a good reminders to trawl birdingfrontiers more often than doing the fast-food stuff on BF 8-P