Mystery bird - UK (1 Viewer)

[marek_walford]

Hi,

Seen today in the UK. Calling continually (MP3 sound clip attached). Extremely elusive! Despite calling constantly it took over 2 hours to get a view of the bird high up in poplars (hence the terrible photos looking up at it).

Any ideas?

Cheers,
Marek

 

[RafaelMatias]

Juv Bullfinch I'd say.

 

[Phil Andrews]

I would go with Bullfinch also

 

[marek_walford]

Juv Bullfinch I'd say.

That was my best guess at the time but it's got white outer tail feathers. The call isn't as soft as Bullfinch either. It was also larger.

 

[Iraq Babbler]

Just guessing...

could be a Chafffinch? not sure (not convinced with tail and bill shape!?).

Omar

 

[marek_walford]

The tail is odd, being very short. It may be regrowing. It appears to have white outer tail feathers.

 

[AlfArbuthnot]

It's a fledgling Bullfinch (lots of birds are nesting late this year).

That's why the tail is short (it's still growing). I think the 'white' outers are a trick of the light, where light is shining through just the single outer feathers, making them look paler. You can see on the second pic that the outer feather at the top is no longer white (in the shade), and the one at the bottom is not pale against the backdrop of the twig and something at the base.

The call is a good match for this: http://www.xeno-canto.org/60810

And the bill is a bit of a giveaway.

 

[ChrisBish]

Agree juv Bullfinch

 

[marek_walford]

Here's some more photos of the tail. It really does look like white outer tail feathers, even in multiple photos at different angles.

The call sounds much flatter than the one on xeno but I admit does sound Bullfinch-like.

Juv Bullfinch sounds plausible, assuming the tail is a trick of the light or abberant and calls (especially juvs) vary.

Thanks for the input.

 

[FergusJBend]

Hi,

Seen today in the UK. Calling continually (MP3 sound clip attached). Extremely elusive! Despite calling constantly it took over 2 hours to get a view of the bird high up in poplars (hence the terrible photos looking up at it).

Any ideas?

Cheers,
Marek

Can you please specify the locality. 'UK' doesn't help much.

 

[marek_walford]

Near Reading, Berkshire.

 

[AlfArbuthnot]

Here's some more photos of the tail. It really does look like white outer tail feathers, even in multiple photos at different angles.

The call sounds much flatter than the one on xeno but I admit does sound Bullfinch-like.

Juv Bullfinch sounds plausible, assuming the tail is a trick of the light or abberant and calls (especially juvs) vary.

Thanks for the input.

The tail is just a trick of the light. If you look at your last pic in the last set, the top feather looks like it has a pale wedge, whereas the bottom looks like a complete pale tip. So they don't match, and looking closely the apparent 'pattern' of white (it's actually more blue-grey than white) changes with position of the bird. I'm certain it's just light shining through a single feather because the outers seem to be being held a little apart from the others.

 

[AlfArbuthnot]

btw, just to be pedantic, isn't that tree a Salix and not a "poplar"?

 

[ChrisBish]

The tail is just a trick of the light. I'm certain it's just light shining through a single feather because the outers seem to be being held a little apart from the others.

Agree with this