Warbler ID help, Asturias, Spain (1 Viewer)

[francisco25]

Hello,

Could you please help me with ID? Mid May 2020, near Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.

Thank you!

 

[Andy Adcock]

Bonelli's?

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,
its either a Common or an Iberian Chiffchaff. All other Warblers, including Western Bonellis (wrong head pattern), Willow (short wings, unusual leg colour), Wood (nearly everything is wrong) can be excluded.
With your bird FROM SPAIN, I see:
-a yellow cast to the undertail coverts
- paler than normal underparts
- very weak eye-ring and a prominent supercilium

So: is this an IDable Iberian, I think so, at least in Spain. But would like to learn from others here.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Just read the answer of Andy: I thought, this pictures are of the same bird? If yes, then a yellowish-greenish hue to belly (should be whitish in WB), prominent supercilium with clear cut boarder together with "head pattern-jizz"(would be unusual for WB) makes this an Iberian or Common Chiffchaff to me.
Also, the second picture looks much better for Iberian/Common than for EB to me for the same reasons, but they are harder to judge there.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Hello,


So: is this an IDable Iberian ... But would like to learn from others here

I don’t think you can exclude Common Chiffchaff on these images Alex

 

[Andy Adcock]

Just read the answer of Andy: I thought, this pictures are of the same bird? If yes, then a yellowish-greenish hue to belly (should be whitish in WB), prominent supercilium with clear cut boarder together with "head pattern-jizz"(would be unusual for WB) makes this an Iberian or Common Chiffchaff to me.
Also, the second picture looks much better for Iberian/Common than for EB to me for the same reasons, but they are harder to judge there.

I only looked at the apparently, grey head which would be unsual for Willow / Chaff?

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

I don’t think you can exclude Common Chiffchaff on these images Alex

Hello Deb, you are of course right! I have taken location and date into account, where Common Chiffchaff would be at least scarce in mid may. And, as the OP bird looked very similar/like the few Iberian I have seen, I thought, this is an IDable Iberean with a "enough high" degree of certainty (I hope thats understandable). Thats why I wrote "FROM SPAIN" in capitals.
But you are right, I shouldnt have made such an assumption, especially in this difficult pair, where there is still much to learn/detect. Thanks for mentioning this to me!

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Hello Deb, you are of course right! I have taken location and date into account, where Common Chiffchaff would be at least scarce in mid may.

No Alex, you are right! - I completely missed the photo being taken in the month of May and went straight to the images without reading the OPs post!

 

[francisco25]

thank you all!

 

[Tote]

I can´t decide on these photos.
Only to say that collybita breed in humid habitats in Spain. In the Northwest, ibericus largely outnumber them but there may breed both species, side by side.
It´s a pity not to hear the song from photo 2.