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Shrike ID from Al Ain, UAE, 16.09.2020. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter peterarras
- Start date
I agree - not a Brown Shrike for sure. As well as the white primary patch, the bill isn't heavy enough, the head too small and the tail too short (and the outer tail feathers don't appear to be shorter). I'm not sure it's a female Turkestan though, which wouldn't normally have a rufous crown or buff tones on the face - the supercilium is also rather weak for an adult. In fact I'm not completely sure it's Turkestan - it's a bit ambiguous.
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Did I suggest Turkestan? Sorry, I meant Daurian - doesn't sound convincing I can imagine
For some reason I tend to always mix up these two names. As for sex and age, I'm really not sure what to make of it...
Isabelline shrike for Lanius isabellinus would be an easier name but...
I think we can just make out 2 or 3 juvenile type feathers at the side of the crown in the last image (browner with white margin and subterminal black bar)
which should make it a poorly marked first winter isabellinus as by Tim Worfolk, DB 2000
opisska
rabid twitcher
I have examined a lot of shrikes in my two visits to the Gulf and this one is at the "slightly eyebrow rising" end of the Daurian spectrum, but still far from getting any reasonable pass for anything else. The Daurians are vastly outnumbering the other species according to my experience.
If it's 1st-winter isabellinus, it's a well-marked one - the eyestripe is thick and black with the beginnings of black on the lores too and it's quite well-barred. On a second look, the buff tones on the face and the extensive gingery flanks rule out phoenicuroides. However, the chestnut cap and rather warmbrown upperparts are not typical of isabellinus, unless they're a product of the light.
peterarras
Well-known member
Great, thank you very much, guys!
