Phylloscopus ID, NE Bulgaria (1 Viewer)

[Misho]

Hi, birders

The attached photos are taken on April 17 at cape Kaliakra, NE Bulgaria.

The bird looked more brownish and short-tailed than a normal Chiffchaff.

Any chance for Siberian chiffchaff?

 

[CARERY]

It really looks very grey indeed and seemingly very short-winged. I can't help it but I have to think of Plain Leaf Warbler - though I've never seen one. Of course it's much more likely that it "only" is a Siberian Chiffchaff. Did it call? It is a curious bird...

 

[lou salomon]

doesn't even have to be a tristis type. it's a chiffchaff. i see some yellow wash on hind flanks and on the supercillium. head pattern / colour is not that of a typical siberian chiffer.

 

[RafaelMatias]

It really looks very grey indeed and seemingly very short-winged. I can't help it but I have to think of Plain Leaf Warbler - though I've never seen one. Of course it's much more likely that it "only" is a Siberian Chiffchaff. Did it call? It is a curious bird...

And I can't help but to have the same opinion as Roland. This is a most curious bird and deserves careful analysis.
The proportions are striking, with really large head, obviously short tail, short PP, with a "cute" look. It's almost like a Pallas's Warbler in proportions, or a Goldcrest. It actually seems to tick most if not all the boxes for a PLW (or a PLW lookalike, but what's the chance of this?); see e.g. van Duivendijk 2011, for a summary of key features.
Lou, I get from your post that you'd include it in the "Chiffchaff" group and would rule out other options?

 

[KenM]

And I can't help but to have the same opinion as Roland. This is a most curious bird and deserves careful analysis.
The proportions are striking, with really large head, obviously short tail, short PP, with a "cute" look. It's almost like a Pallas's Warbler in proportions, or a Goldcrest. It actually seems to tick most if not all the boxes for a PLW (or a PLW lookalike, but what's the chance of this?); see e.g. van Duivendijk 2011, for a summary of key features.
Lou, I get from your post that you'd include it in the "Chiffchaff" group and would rule out other options?

Structurally similar?


Cheers

 

[andyb39]

An odd-looking bird which does look a little like Plain Leaf structurally, although the bill might be a little long. On the other hand, the first image doesn't look right for one at all. That species does tend to have a longer, broader supercilium than this. If it's a Chiffchaff, it's an odd one, with a seeming total absence of green tones.

Misho, do you mind if I show it to some birding collleagues in the Gulf?

Did it call?

 

[Misho]

An odd-looking bird which does look a little like Plain Leaf structurally, although the bill might be a little long. On the other hand, the first image doesn't look right for one at all. That species does tend to have a longer, broader supercilium than this. If it's a Chiffchaff, it's an odd one, with a seeming total absence of green tones.

Misho, do you mind if I show it to some birding collleagues in the Gulf?

Did it call?

Of course, Andy. Show to everybody, who`ll be helpful to identify this bird.

Unfortunately it stayed silent, didn`t hear any sound.

 

[Misho]

Some clarifications regarding the observation.

Structurally the bird looked with more compact body (like Gold-, Firecrest, Wren) as RafaelMatias already mentioned. The size looked similar with Chiffchaff, but not with extended body structure as a normal Chiffchaff.
It wasn`t calling, didn`t hear any sound of this bird.

The sites is a very narrow cape, where regularly vagrant for Bulgaria occur - Pallas`s Leaf Warbler, Red-fronted serin, Rufous Bush Robin and so on.

I can`t exclude just normal Chiffchaff, but I`ve never seen one like this.

 

[lou salomon]

yes, roland and rafael, it is an odd looking grey-brown and short winged phylloscopus and it does look different to 'normal' chiffchaffs. but most of these birds lacking greenish tones and which are not obvious tristis types prove to be common chiffchaffs IF they get identified e.g. by call. sure P. neglectus has to be taken in consideration with such a striking appearance but on the other hand one has to start with carefully eliminating a collybita ssp.
- as told i see a yellow wash in the supercillium above the lore, the alula edge and in the rear flanks. these consistantly appear in the images given.
- pity it didn't call - without a call i'd be very reluctant to claim a vagrant plain leaf warbler anywhere in europe, a highly unlikely candidate (although there has been caught one ind. near stockholm...) compared to other vagrant phylloscopus sp.
- from the beginning the bird didn't strike me as looking like a plain leaf warbler (compared to multiple pics on the net and in shirihai/svensson, since i have not seen the species in flesh), hard to tell, but i think it's the more "plain" look of neglectus - less contrast between upper- und underparts, maybe slightly darker breast.
- neglectus is really small, similar to pallas's w., an experienced observer might have noticed this if other chiffchaffs were around.
- tip of tail hard to assess but might be slightly notched.
- bill is not black
so, my take is that it's a very dull coloured common chiffchaff which is a bit hunched in and thus appears so compact. maybe the bird was not well. a definite answer would have been given by call or song.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Am I the only one who sees a short tail too?

 

[Scridifer]

Am I the only one who sees a short tail too?

Rafael notes this in post 4 Andy.

Chris

 

[Birders Reports]

Well, maybe the wing formula must to be involved in the discussion, too.
Also, I can see well spotted ear-coverts.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Rafael notes this in post 4 Andy.

Chris

Sorry, missed that.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Is it too early for this to be a juvenile with a tail that's not fully grown?

 

[lou salomon]

definitely too early.

 

[Birders Reports]

Any other opinions?

 

[Richard Prior]

Yes, for me it’s a Chiffchaff too.

 

[CARERY]

Andy B, any news from the Gulf colleagues?

 

[andyb39]

Andy B, any news from the Gulf colleagues?

Not yet - have only just written to them.

 

[Birders Reports]

Now, any other opinions?