Stonechat - but with clear white line over eye (1 Viewer)

[hopster]

Hi all

I was at the Ogmore Estuary in the Vale of Glamorgan on Sunday and saw what was clearly a male Stonechat - right size, posture and colouring - but it had a very clear horizontal white line above and behind its eye. However, in my reference bird ID book it says the following: "ID rounded; plain head (no white strip over eye); ..." . What's going on and why do they explicitly say that it isn't present?

Thanks

M

 

[dantheman]

Hi all

I was at the Ogmore Estuary in the Vale of Glamorgan on Sunday and saw what was clearly a male Stonechat - right size, posture and colouring - but it had a very clear horizontal white line above and behind its eye. However, in my reference bird ID book it says the following: "ID rounded; plain head (no white strip over eye); ..." . What's going on and why do they explicitly say that it isn't present?

Thanks

M

They're comparing it to Whinchat which always does have a white stripe above the eye (supercilium) as ruling out the confusion species.

UK Stonechats don't generally have a white supercilium, but some continental birds do have, especially moving a little further east. It's possible your Stonechat is from a little further afield (or possibly a local one with this genetic variation).

(It should be too early for Whinchat (a summer visitor), and presume you've ruled that out on colouring as you say).

(Subsequently edited for superciliary clarity (try saying that 5 times in a row after a couple ... ))

 

[Butty]

a very clear horizontal white line above and behind its eye

Sure the supercilium was white? Pale is possible - chiefly 1st-winter birds? - but actually white (I'm guessing it wasn't though) would put you in whinchat territory, so you could check the wing- and tail-pattern to eliminate that (and, as suggested, it's probably too early still). If your field guide doesn't illustrate all this... I fear you need a better one.
(Just for clarity... a supercilium is not an eye-stripe, nor vice versa.)

 

[hopster]

No the head was charcoal all over apart from the line, so not a Whinchat. Also, the line didn't go all the way along the side either, it started above the eye and went 80% of the way to the back of the head.

 

[Butty]

Aha - so... moulting/feather-wearing into breeding plumage.

 

[Harrybongo]

They're comparing it to Whinchat which always does have a white stripe above the eye (supercilium) as ruling out the confusion species.

UK Stonechats don't generally have a white supercilium, but some continental birds do have, especially moving a little further east. It's possible your Stonechat is from a little further afield (or possibly a local one with this genetic variation).

(It should be too early for Whinchat (a summer visitor), and presume you've ruled that out on colouring as you say).

(Subsequently edited for superciliary clarity (try saying that 5 times in a row after a couple ... ))

I got to 3! 😂

 

[Grahame Walbridge]

It is not that unusual in spring, but on occasion, birds like this can be seen well into the breeding season, typically amongst continental birds. Stonechats attain their brightest/breeding plumage through wear i.e post juvenile and post breeding moults completed by October. A particularly well-marked example of a rubicola from Spain here ML314371841 - European Stonechat - Macaulay Library

This level of detail will likely not be found in any literature.

Grahame

 

[dantheman]

A thread (with couple of links to others) with a few well-marked supercilia here -

Whinchat or Stonechat

Not my pics. Taken recently. Location - Cornwall. Presumably same bird in all. Cheers.

www.birdforum.net

 

[hopster]

It is not that unusual in spring, but on occasion, birds like this can be seen well into the breeding season, typically amongst continental birds. Stonechats attain their brightest/breeding plumage through wear i.e post juvenile and post breeding moults completed by October. A particularly well-marked example of a rubicola from Spain here ML314371841 - European Stonechat - Macaulay Library

This level of detail will likely not be found in any literature.

Grahame

Yes that is pretty close to how it looked.

M