White Wagtail in Beijing - ssp personata? (1 Viewer)

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Terry Townshend

Regular vagrant

• Apr 14, 2012

• #1

Hello,
Today I found the attached White Wagtail in Beijing. We usually see the subspecies leucopsis and ocularis here, with the occasional baicalensis but this one threw me. The closest I can find on the internet (I don't have the Pipits and Wagtails book) is ssp personata... but it looks way out of range. I'd be grateful for any views.
Thanks in advance,
Terry

 

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  2012-04-14 White Wagtail ssp personata.jpg

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Douwe

Well-known member

• Apr 14, 2012

• #2

With personata I would expect a white upper throat. Maybe a hybrid between personata and one of the other spp's.

Douwe

 

rockfowl

Mark Andrews

• Apr 14, 2012

• #3

Its also rather similar to a female alboides though perhaps too pale grey on the mantle? - http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?p=52&Bird_ID=2086&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1

Various personata here if you scroll through - http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?p=24&Bird_ID=2086&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1

 

cuckooroller

Registered User

• Apr 15, 2012

• #4

best guess, looking through the Wagtail book - adult female personata transitioning to summer plumage (thereby losing the white throat among other things).

 

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Terry Townshend

Regular vagrant

• Apr 15, 2012

• #5

Thanks guys.. I really need to invest in that Pipits and Wagtails book.. I have never seen personata or alboides before but most images of personata on the internet seem to show a white upper throat. If they can show a dark throat, I think that is the best fit. It would be the first record of personata in Beijing Municipality.

By the way, I found a cool map of White Wagtail subspecies - see here.

 

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Gretchen

Well-known member

• Apr 15, 2012

• #6

Terry Townshend said:

By the way, I found a cool map of White Wagtail subspecies - see here.

Click to expand...

Now that is my type of visual support! Very nice. For all that I like words, I hate reading lists of names of subspecies and names of places - very clear.

 

cuckooroller

Registered User

• Apr 15, 2012

• #7

Gretchen said:

Now that is my type of visual support! Very nice. For all that I like words, I hate reading lists of names of subspecies and names of places - very clear.

Click to expand...

Not a great diagram however. It mostly shows what should be the breeding ranges.

It seems to be a year for out-of-range races of alba. We had the first ever leucopsis in Philippines this year.

 

cuckooroller

Registered User

• Apr 15, 2012

• #8

Terry Townshend said:

Thanks guys.. I really need to invest in that Pipits and Wagtails book.. I have never seen personata or alboides before but most images of personata on the internet seem to show a white upper throat. If they can show a dark throat, I think that is the best fit. It would be the first record of personata in Beijing Municipality.

By the way, I found a cool map of White Wagtail subspecies - see here.

Click to expand...

Adults of both sexes (of personata) lose the white throat in alternate plumage. By the way, for many features alboides resembles personata. It might be just as likely to find an alboides as a personata near Beijing (looking at the distances involved of their normal ranges). Nonetheless, I like the submoustachial of this bird better for personata

 

Last edited: Apr 15, 2012

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Terry Townshend

Regular vagrant

• Apr 15, 2012

• #9

Thanks Steve. I'll submit the record as a personata. The Pipits and Wagtails book is on my Christmas list...

 

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Gretchen

Well-known member

• Apr 16, 2012

• #10

cuckooroller said:

Not a great diagram however. It mostly shows what should be the breeding ranges.

Click to expand...

Yes, you have to read the label to notice that it doesn't include wintering ranges or migration routes. Visuals do tend to simplify, but at some stages of the game that is useful.

 

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johnallcock

Well-known member

• Apr 17, 2012

• #11

It certainly looks good for personata. There have been a few records (I think 4 or 5) in Hong Kong, which is also outside the usual range. Occurrence in Beijing seems plausible.

 

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Terry Townshend

Regular vagrant

• Apr 17, 2012

• #12

Thanks John. With better coverage, I am sure Beijing would turn up more records of this subspecies. That said, Jesper Hornskov only recorded it a very few times in Qinghai when he lived there (singles on 2 May 1991 and 30 Apr 1992, and 1-3 on several dates between 8th and 23 Sep 1994) which, given its range, suggests that it should be very scarce in eastern China.