1stw Ficedula France sept 2020 (1 Viewer)

Hi everybody,

I know that 1st winter black and white flycatchers are best forgotten if you want to sleep peacefully but this one shows rather unusual traits. Any comment or opinion welcomed.

The bird was seen in France, in Paris, september 2nd 2020.

Aged 1st winter by pattern of tertials for instance.

Unusual traits (compared with hypoleuca) :

- broad primary patch (estimated 3 mm at its broadest point)
- obvious bar on median coverts wich may have two generations of feathers (white tipped and grey-cream tipped), not unlike bar on greater coverts.
- inner part (not only web) of R3 with pale grey zone (visible on some pictures only)
- overall much greyer than the typical Pied Flycatchers present at the same place
- last but not least, five obvious white (more obvious in the field than on pictures) round spots on the rump (remnant of juv plumage ? or ?)

It didn't feed in the open but inside the bushes, close to the ground and even
sometimes on the ground (other ficedula were feeding more "normally"). But I don't know if it's of any use identification-wise.

Thanks !

A very difficult one, at least for me.
Please note, that the extent of the pale area at the primary-base is important, not the wide. The small patch of your bird is better for Pied than for Collared.
Yes, this bird is slightly greyer and has a slightly paler rump than a normal Pied, but its also not a classic Collared to me: I know, they are extremly variable in autumn, but I would expect an IDable bird outside normal range (?) to show broader white tertial fringes and a larger white patch at the base of the primaries.

I have seen some autumn "Pieds" with a slightly paler rump, and allways thought, this is within variation, but as I saw than relative near places where Collared is breeeding, I am unsure.

I havent seen Semi-collared yet, so I would like to learn, if this is one.

Interesting reading with comments from Christian Wegst although in german: https://club300.de/gallery/idforum_topic.php?id=74201

An example of a paler rumped Pied (please note, it was taken in May) and far away from Collared breeding area near Prenzlau, NE-Germany, is here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsm8fcb26 . As it has much white in the wings, I suspected a hybrid then, and filed the pictures. But currently, I am thinking this is a Pied.

Conclusion: I dont think, there is enough here to speek of a Hybrid between Collared and Pied, but I would like to learn, if this is an IDable one.

Thanks for the input. German link seems promising but google translate also have difficulties with first-winter ficedula

I don't think we will come to a certain identification ! There is nothing typical in this bird so an hybrid could be a interesting (but perhaps unprovable) theory. Wierdly enough the primary patch was half white - half grey (consistently on every pictures)

Welcome to birdforum! Oh I see you're registered for a while already...

Also to me this looks like a 1cy Pied mainly because of the extend of the white primary patch. The blackish tail indicates a male. The rather distinct pale MC bar is not too unusual though one might wonder indeed how to ID a vagrant 1cy Semi-collared? I wouldn't know and would love to learn from someone more knowledgeable!

Agree with others that this looks better for Pied (the PP base patch is really too small). The remnants of juvenile plumage (spotting on the rump) may be creating an illusion of a paler rump, and I also think there are a few missing feathers there (rump), creating greyer patches due to the exposed feather bases (active body moult); also the fact that it still has those few juv feathers suggests to me also that it could be a more local bird (not from too far) than a migrant Collared.

CARERY said:

Welcome to birdforum! Oh I see you're registered for a while already...

Also to me this looks like a 1cy Pied mainly because of the extend of the white primary patch. The blackish tail indicates a male. The rather distinct pale MC bar is not too unusual though one might wonder indeed how to ID a vagrant 1cy Semi-collared? I wouldn't know and would love to learn from someone more knowledgeable!

Click to expand...

i think basically by narrower white tertial fringes, roland. that said i have never identified a juvenille semicollared in the field...