Yellowhammer of ssp erythrogenys in western Europe (2 Viewers)

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,

Yellowhammer of the ssp erythrogenys are said to reach some parts of western Europe according to literature.

I hope for information about this ssp, for example answer to the following questions, although I am well aware of difficulties in (confident) identification of this ssp.

• what is the status of this ssp in western Europe?
• are there fluctuations in numbers and what might be the reason for this?
• Ein Träumchen: are they more frequent or rarer this winter (2021/22)?
• what are features to ID at least some of them from local western YH in western Europe?

Thanks for any information!

​

Fiener Bruch near Paplitz, NE-Germany, 13.12.2020

 

[Richard Prior]

Hi Alexander, I don’t know which literature you have consulted regarding erythrogenys, I only have the Shirihai and Svensson Handbook of WP Birds (2018) to hand, they mention that it grades (without sharp borders) into citrinella over a wide zone making it hard to assign birds to one ssp or another. They state that it only differs a little from citrinella in the male plumage, being slightly brighter/paler yellow with the back appearing less rufous and more grey- brown toned, wing-bars a little more whitish rather than buffish-yellow. Biometrics and wing formula virtually identical. They describe it as largely sedentary descending to lower altitude for winter or a short- range migrant.
All that makes me think that you would need to be a very (or over ) confident or competent birder to claim one in Western Europe in winter. But who am I to say!
Apparently two papers - Panov et al. (2003) and Irwin et al. (2009) suggested that erythrogenys could represent a ‘hybrid swarm’ involving hybridization between Yellowhammer citrinella and Pine Bunting and back-crossing by hybrids but Shirihai and Svensson consider that unlikely given the very close similarity between erythrogenys and citrinella.

 

[Richard Prior]

Bonjour Alexander,

Here are a few recent photos of 'our' Yellowhammer visitors, it's rainy and very dark this morning so photography is not easy!!

 

[Richard Prior]

A few more:

 

[Richard Prior]

Some more from this afternoon below, I haven't noticed any thing out of the ordinary plumage-wise this winter, one female was greyer than typical above but normal yellowish hue below and wing bars also standard. A Pine Bunting appeared at the usual staging location in Switzerland a few days ago, in 2019 one appeared here three days after such an event, but no joy so far!

 

[01101001]

A very interesting thread. Some time ago I wondered whether a jackdaw that was noticeably brighter on the face could have been of another subspecies, but I wasn't able to find any useful material for visual comparison online except for the vague descriptions in Wikipedia and rather inconclusive photos from the Macaulay Library. I was also curious to know whether the differences between Common Magpies are visible in the field, but I failed to find anything authoritative, too (maybe I wasn't searching long enough). Common birds would be much more interesting if each of them had a rarer variant to look out for (some do, and I'm glad).

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,
thanks Richard for the pictures!

Yes, you were right to post them in this thread and like you, Yellowhammers with pure grey backs (with or without a pinkish wash, but lacking olive, brownish, generally dirty hues there) attracted my attention.
That colouration can be seen in your first and second picture (although it could be more extensive).

Although I looked at many Yellowhammers in the past, I cant recall having seen such colouration during (roughly) the summer (which doesnt mean I have not seen one or two birds you know), but now I see them quite regulary in NE-Germany from late autumn until april/early may.

Here is one with Corn Buntings, although back could be a little bit cleaner and paler (= I have seen paler and cleaner backed YH, like the bird in my first post)

https://flic.kr/p/2o7zjgB

all Goldammer (Päwesin, NE-Germany, February 2020)

 

[Richard Prior]

I will keep watching them Alexander and photograph any that look more ‘interesting’!