Pale Rock Sparrow Pakistan (1 Viewer)

H

Himalaya

Well-known member

• Nov 3, 2019

• #1

Taken in the Kirthar National Park of Sindh - November 2018.

Just wanted further confirmation - first national record and maybe from Oriental Bird Club region.

Thanks!!!

 

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G

Grahame Walbridge

Well-known member

• Nov 3, 2019

• #2

Agreed Pale Rockfinch (= Pale Rock Sparrow)

Grahame

 

DMW

Well-known member

• Nov 3, 2019

• #3

I don't think this is the first record for the OBC region, with well-documented records from Western India. Interestingly, there is an Oct 2019 record from southern India on ebird. Photos of this bird look rather odd.

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Nov 3, 2019

• #4

DMW said:

Interestingly, there is an Oct 2019 record from southern India on ebird. Photos of this bird look rather odd.

Click to expand...

Would that be this thing by any chance? A whole series of 35 pics posted on Wiki Commons very recently. My suspicion is it's a leucistic weaver of some sort.

 

DMW

Well-known member

• Nov 3, 2019

• #5

Nutcracker said:

Would that be this thing by any chance? A whole series of 35 pics posted on Wiki Commons very recently. My suspicion is it's a leucistic weaver of some sort.

Click to expand...

Yes. I don't know what it is to be honest, although it doesn't look like a weaver to me. The shape and bill looks quite good for Pale Rock Sparrow, I would think.

 

James Eaton

Trent Valley Crew

• Nov 4, 2019

• #6

In first week of February 2012 we had a flock of some 250 in Gujarat, near Bhuj (I've attached a photo of mine), which I believe was the first for the region.

Following on from that, turns out it was a bumper year for them:
http://indianbirds.in/pdfs/IB7.6_PooniaETAL_PaleRockSparrow.pdf

The pale bird is written up here (also in 2012):
http://indianbirds.in/pdfs/IB8.3_Singal_PaleRockSparrow.pdf
Note wing projection and bill shape.

James

 

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DMW

Well-known member

• Nov 4, 2019

• #7

Thanks James. I'm a bit confused: is the recent South Indian bird (October 2019) considered the same individual as the pale bird from 2012, which would be quite remarkable? If not, it seems equally remarkable that what appear to be two partially leucistic vagrants would occur so far out of range in the same general area. Or am I mistaking bleaching for leucism?