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Redstart ID from Al Ain, UAE, 12.10.2017. (1 Viewer)

peterarras

Well-known member
Hi all,
can someone confirm, that this bird on this bad picture is a Eastern Black Redstart and not a Common Redstart?!
Thanks in advance
Cheers
Peter
 

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Brightened it a bit in photoshop; I'd agree with Black Redstart, I'd guess perhaps more likely the middle east subspecies Phoenicurus ochruros semirufus rather than central Asian P. o. phoenicuroides.
 

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When I lightened the image, Peter, the bird's head and back came out a bright blue with no discernible markings on the head, presumably an artefact? That being the case, I would put forward semirufus as the likely taxon of Black Redstart here.
MJB
PS Ooops! Cross-posted
PPS I withdraw this assessment - please see post 5 written after access to my notes!
 
Last edited:
It's definitely Eastern Black.

According to the UAE checklist, it's P.o. phoenicuroides that we get here, not semirufus.

https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-z5cBz/i-VCRZDkx

The occasional all-darkish birds that turn up are labelled P.o. ochruros, although they used to be labelled P.o.gibraltariensis.

https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-tWBF6/i-T3WPGKm

Andy,
Thanks for reminding me that nowadays semirufus is considered confined to the Levant; phoenicuroides indeed is the taxon usually encountered in the UAE. It perhaps is useful to consider phoenicuroides separately, under the informal name of 'Central Asian Black Redstart', leaving rufiventris as the sole taxon under 'Eastern Black Redstart'.
MJJ
 
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