Romania. Confirmation (1 Viewer)

[testoduro]

Last week. My guesses:

1) Willow Tit. Judging by the whitish wing panel.
2) Ural Owl. Based on large size, and yellow bill, but shouldn't I expect a longer tail?

Thank you!

 

[PYRTLE]

Correct for no.2 and probably a Willow but cannot clearly see the features of the bill. Wing and tail ratio seem okay, a tiny feature put to me many years ago by a BF member.

 

[KenM]

It looks “bull necked”, a good Willow Tit feature I seem to recall.

Cheers

 

[aeshna5]

Both look good for your suggestions.

 

[01101001]

It does look like it. Whether you want to tick it without call is your choice. They should be present at a given site year-round, so you can always return and record the sound.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Although hunched a little and giving Willow Tit appearance, I wouldn't rule out a Marsh Tit (cheek merging, small neat bib, appears to have pale bill spot). Wing panel is not prominent and not conclusive, Marsh can show a vague panel in this area, especially at some angles/light.

 

[Jos Stratford]

No doubts on the owl

 

[lou salomon]

testoduro, Willow Tits are very rarely found outside Carpathians in Romania (and I mean really inside Carpathians, not even near them), even during winter. If you tell where exactly you took the pic I'd tell you how likely WT is. Usually such pics from Romania are Marsh Tits. Not ID-able from this pic.

 

[01101001]

Sighișoara - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

if I understand correctly

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AYx2hY_SsGQ/UPWttTJev0I/AAAAAAAAHnE/GofzsvcbbOo/s1600/physical-map-of-Romania.gif

(between Târgu Mureş and Braşov here)

Would there be Ural Owl if it weren't in the mountains*?

('cerca Siguisoara' = 'circa Sighişoara')

EDIT: *Assuming both photos were taken at the same place.

 

[01101001]

Regardless of this particular case (hard to confidently exclude either otherwise than on frequency), looking at my field notes, it appears that each time I observed Willow Tits they made high, very short 'pip' calls while foraging (contact calls?) apart from the usual distinctive calls? Have you heard Marsh Tits make similar very short high-pitched calls? I don't mean any of the usual whistles, which are longer, louder and their pitch isn't fixed: more akin to the contact calls (?) Great Tits or Blue Tits make?

 

[01101001]

If so, maybe one could map the frequencies* and search for a general tendency similar to distinguishing ticking Acrocephalus warblers by call alone (XC87107) :: topic 2512 :: xeno-canto?

EDIT: It was ambiguous, but I actually meant differences in sound frequency (pitch)--which may or may not occur (?) between Marsh and Willow Tit--as opposed to differences in call frequency described for the reed warblers above.

 

[lou salomon]

Sighișoara - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

if I understand correctly

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AYx2hY_SsGQ/UPWttTJev0I/AAAAAAAAHnE/GofzsvcbbOo/s1600/physical-map-of-Romania.gif

(between Târgu Mureş and Braşov here)

Would there be Ural Owl if it weren't in the mountains*?

('cerca Siguisoara' = 'circa Sighişoara')

EDIT: *Assuming both photos were taken at the same place.

ural owl occures there, but not willow tit. and to answer your question about the pip calls: both species have them. usually they are much more conspicous in marsh tit, though!

 

[testoduro]

testoduro, Willow Tits are very rarely found outside Carpathians in Romania (and I mean really inside Carpathians, not even near them), even during winter. If you tell where exactly you took the pic I'd tell you how likely WT is. Usually such pics from Romania are Marsh Tits. Not ID-able from this pic.

Hi, Lou. Thanks for your reply. As someone already pointed out, both pictures were taken south of but not far from Siguisoara. A wild hilly, rather than mountanious setting. I've attached a second picture of the tit but I'm not sure it can contribute much to the identification.

 

[lou salomon]

I know those places pretty well as its where I come from. There's no Willow Tits around Sighisoara and the second pic looks even better for Marsh.