Wagtail ssp. race? (1 Viewer)

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marklhawkes

Well-known member

• Oct 29, 2006

• #1

See photos here: http://www.indybirder.com/grafhamphotos2006.html of a Wagtail currently present at Grafham Water, Cambs (since 20th Oct).

Is this bird a female flava? Yes, I know - females of any of the "headed" wagtails races are hard/impossible to prove, but is there anything to suggest this is just a flavissima?

Mark

 

gerdwichers8

Well-known member

• Oct 29, 2006

• #2

I suppose you long for beema but I reckon this subspecies to have a broader white supercilium in front of the eye than this bird.

This bird does have quite a large area of white under the eye extending well over the earcoverts. The tone and extension of grey on the head and the mantle. These two maybe together with the feature of lack of yellow be a bit off the typical flavissima but differences get subtle since flavissima gets quite near these..
I cant get a strong case here for things like beema or leucocephala

Edit: three points..Its good to consider this bird.

 

Last edited: Oct 29, 2006

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marklhawkes

Well-known member

• Oct 29, 2006

• #3

gerdwichers8 said:

I suppose you long for beema but I reckon this subspecies to have a broader white supercilium in front of the eye than this bird.

Click to expand...

No, beema-types in UK are usually considered to be hybrid flava/flavissimas or "Channel Wagtails". I'm unfamiliar with flava at this time of year, but would lean towards this race, rather than flavissima

 

gerdwichers8

Well-known member

• Oct 29, 2006

• #4

I still consider beema here, but I wait for some support

Edit: I think its way too yellow underneath and too brown on the scapulars for beema but I get a lot of white throat wich is a beema feature, greenish and brown tones to the head is not.

 

Last edited: Oct 29, 2006

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Edward woodwood

Member

• Oct 29, 2006

• #5

Mark

jono has a thread of the same bird already

Tim

 

Jono L

Well-known member

• Oct 29, 2006

• #6

Tim Allwood said:

Mark

jono has a thread of the same bird already

Tim

Click to expand...

Yes you plum!
;-)Jono

 

gerdwichers8

Well-known member

• Oct 29, 2006

• #7

Why not just leave it winter flava/flavissima...I try to do more than I can do myself here

 

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marklhawkes

Well-known member

• Oct 29, 2006

• #8

Jono L said:

Yes you plum!
;-)Jono

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Sorry mate - you beat me to it! see here for original thread

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=70576