Greenland Wheatear diagnostic features (2 Viewers)

Lucky Birder · Apr 19, 2005

I have two birds here today. One which is quite plump and rather upright and long-legged. It has a whacking brilliant white supercillium that is thicker than the other bird, which is a 'classic' ordinary Northern. The only thing that worries me, is that the peachy tone on the underparts is limited to the throat. Isn't the colour meant to extend further down the breast? Otherwise I would say it is a Greenland.

I will upload the photos tonight, but it might just be a well-marked oenanthe

Anyone got any sure fire way of separating the Greenland from 'ordinary' Northern Wheatear.

- LB

CornishExile · Apr 19, 2005

As a general jizz thing, Greenlands are basically 'chunkier' and 'longer' than nominate Northerns; some people say they have a more upright stance, but I reckon that's bollix - for me it's not as obvious as say in Isabelline. The grey upperparts seem to have a brown wash in them, and the black mask appears a very dark brown instead, especially behind the eye. Underparts are a richer buffish orange than nominate, and this is more extensive in Greenland.

Wings will appear longer on Greenland, and you might be able to make out more exposed primary tips; on some (though not all, so it's not diagnostic) birds P2 is well out beyond the tertials on Greenland...

But those are all generalisations; I don't think there's a magic dead cert giveaway.

Jon

StuartReeves · Apr 19, 2005

I think only biometrics will separate the two forms; Greenland is slightly bigger. I think there can be almost complete overlap in plumage features, although classic Greenland Wheatears are much more brown/orange than than the British breeding birds.

Stuart

KnockerNorton · Apr 19, 2005

Also, there's a big element of 'you'll know it when you see it'. If one fo your birds looks the part, then go with your first impression gut instinct. That's all 99% of other people can do (the ones without the mist nets!).

To me, they look a bit bigger, longer-winged, a lot browner on the back, and a lot more peachy on the front. If you're worried about making a wrong call, then just note is as a 'probable' or 'suspected'. That's the most honest thing to do, as it records the occurrence without taking the leap of judgement.

Edward woodwood · Apr 19, 2005

the underparts being a very rich dark apricot and more extensive than on nominate Wheatear is a good feature along with more general bulk

Lucky Birder · Apr 19, 2005

Cheers everybody. I'll put this as a possible for now.

Jane Turner · Apr 19, 2005

Its another of those pairs that has huge amounts of overlap. Round about now the Wheatears start looking more Greenlandy, by mid April they look like a different species to the ones that went through in the first week of April. I do see a stance variation, but some of that might be down to the weather I see them in. Another strange thing is that Greenlands round here seem to have a thing for perching in bushes. I used to ring in a reedbed and would catch Greenlands quite frequently but never the more local birds. In the end I think size is the best feature, some Greenland males look more like thrushes.

Here is a classic bird

http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=4120

garry1366 · Apr 19, 2005

In my experience at Spurn, before the real Greenland looking birds come through birds that look less obvious come through. I have discussed this with fellow birders and believe these not so Greenland looking birds are Icelandic birds. I saw a few last weekend and would expect true Greenlands within the next 10 days or so.

Could be wrong though!!!!
Garry

Lucky Birder · Apr 19, 2005

Here's my bird. Sorry it's not too sharp, it was windy at the time and I didn't get another decent chance it was so skittish.

- LB

Ruby · Apr 19, 2005

Jane Turner said:
In the end I think size is the best feature, some Greenland males look more like thrushes.

Very interesting Jane - I remember back to a huge Wheatear that I saw last Autumn, and that's an excellent description.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=24467

Certainly couldn't mistake it for a 'normal' Wheatear....

Rgds... Ruby

Lucky Birder · Apr 19, 2005

You can't quite tell from my photo but this was a bigger bird than the other Northern Wheatear. I've got a shot of them together for comparison leuccorrhoa? on the left.

Jane Turner · Apr 20, 2005

that has definite Greenland/Iceland looks... the underparts are a good sign

Jane Turner · Apr 20, 2005

Ruby - yours most likely is too on size alone.

Adey Baker · Apr 20, 2005

How about these three from April 17th last year. I'd say they were all Greenlands but there's definitely some variation in them!

Lucky Birder · Apr 20, 2005

Hi Adey, my bird yesterday was at Willow Farm. Your middle bird looks a bit like my right hand bird, which I thought was a bright oenanthe. Your left hand one certainly looks like a Greenland.

Jane Turner · Apr 20, 2005

As I said there are no hard boundaries in this cline! April 17th probably makes them Iceland bound! I'll make an effort to photograph the late May birds this year - they look amazing...

StuartReeves · Apr 20, 2005

The overlap in plumage features means that 'oenanthe-type' birds at this time of year may actually be heading for Iceland or Greenland. As Jane hints, the date may well be a clue as I suspect that the large majority of British breeders will be on territory by now, so any passage birds may well be heading further north and west.

Stuart

Edward · Apr 20, 2005

Jane Turner said:
As I said there are no hard boundaries in this cline! April 17th probably makes them Iceland bound! I'll make an effort to photograph the late May birds this year - they look amazing...

Just for the record the first Wheatears are just starting to show up here, so there must be good numbers making their way north through Britain now. It's tropical here as well, steady south-easterly winds and a heady 8°C. The place will be full of them by the weekend.

E

Lucky Birder · Apr 20, 2005

Thanks Edward, that's good to hear

- LB

Adey Baker · Apr 20, 2005

Lucky Birder said:
Hi Adey, my bird yesterday was at Willow Farm. Your middle bird looks a bit like my right hand bird, which I thought was a bright oenanthe. Your left hand one certainly looks like a Greenland.

My middle bird seems to have quite a bulky body and also the brownish-black behind the eye face mask as suggested by Cornish Exile.

Ironically, the most orange bird on the left was the slimmest and had the blackest face pattern, so there's obviously a lot of overlap. It also adopted that horizontal stance more, as well - it may have been more alert to something which I didn't notice (I was digiscoping from quite a distance so I don't think it was me!)

There were quite a lot of Wheatears at the site of those three last year (Huncote Embankment) including seven on that particular day - I saw at least one bird on virtually every visit but I've managed to miss all of them this year! Nice to see some good birds being recorded at Willow Farm.

Greenland Wheatear diagnostic features (2 Viewers)

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