Is this Motacilla tschutschensis taivana? (1 Viewer)

M

matis

Member

• Sep 24, 2020

• #1

hi,

can somebody help with ID for this bird from Bardia, Nepal, 18.03.2016?
I suspect it might be Motacilla tschutschensis taivana, but I'm not sure.
Sorry for the poor quality crop, it was quite far away.

thanks

 

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PYRTLE

Old Berkshire Boy

• Sep 24, 2020

• #2

I can see why you maybe thinking "Green Crowned" Eastern Yellow Wagtail but very difficult to be confident on these images I'm afraid.

 

G

Grahame Walbridge

Well-known member

• Sep 24, 2020

• #3

Definitely not taivana IMO, especially with that dark/black extension down the nape, but something very similar here http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_Image_ID=66340&Bird_ID=2087&Bird_Family_ID=&Location= suggest likely hybrid origin.

Grahame

 

Last edited: Sep 24, 2020

J

johnallcock

Well-known member

• Sep 24, 2020

• #4

I agree it looks like a hybrid - the yellow on the head is too extensive for taivana (very broad supercilium, extending onto sides of crown) and there is a strong contrast between dark nape and pale mantle.
I don't know what parents might create a bird looking like this though.

 

lou salomon

the birdonist

• Sep 26, 2020

• #5

it's one of those feldegg x flava hybrids, form 'xanthophrys'. quite common in romania and pretty confusing when seen first.

 

PYRTLE

Old Berkshire Boy

• Sep 26, 2020

• #6

Why not Citrine / feldegg hybrid as per GW's link? I can see quite a few characteristics of citreola in the images. Striking and confusing individual nonetheless.

 

lou salomon

the birdonist

• Sep 26, 2020

• #7

in the field i usually go by voice if confronted with such a bird - they usually call like feldegg. in this case of course i can't hear it. but even the suggested ID of the pic from orientalbirdimages might be questionable, as it is done as tentative ID only. given the pure mass of feldegg x flava hybrids which can look like the OB it would be unlikely to have a citrela x feldegg in this case.

 

J

johnallcock

Well-known member

• Sep 27, 2020

• #8

I would have thought that citreola x feldegg is more likely than flava x feldegg in Nepal, based on the ranges of the parent taxa. And the wing pattern looks like it might fit with a citreola hybrid. But I don't konw how common this is as a hybrid combination.

 

lou salomon

the birdonist

• Sep 27, 2020

• #9

you may be right. i overlooked the location and thought it was photographed in romania...