Fuerteventura Phylloscs.....? (1 Viewer)

KenM · Jan 5, 2016

These three birds along with Blackcaps, were present adjacent to a Children's
playground/Town Park, Pajara (Fuerteventura) last week.

No Brownie points for the first bird...or that the other two are Chiff Chaffs, albeit quite different looking birds...presumably Iberian Chiff Chaff for the 2nd bird...and Canary Island Chiff Chaff for the third? Cheers

Another two shots...the bird with the green upper-parts does look intriguing! (where it not for the dark legs and short pp!)....one would be thinking Willow Warbler. I've certainly never seen a Chiffy (which it clearly is) with almost white unders looking like that before.

The Olive-Brown individual again, most odd looking with a particularly long pale super, might tick the Canary Island Chiff Chaff box?

Mark Lew1s · Jan 5, 2016

Are there any Canary island chiffchaff on Fuerteventura? The source below suggests they're restricted to the more western islands, but a quick look online gives conflicting info (although most seem to agree that they are western island birds). Perhaps there is a more up to date source?

https://britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/article_files/V91/V91_N09/V91_N09_P361_376_A096.pdf

Iberian candidate looks interesting!

Djerf · Jan 5, 2016

The first one looks like a Yellow-browed Warbler.

Joakim

Jonno52 · Jan 5, 2016

Djerf said:
The first one looks like a Yellow-browed Warbler.

Joakim

Well, don't take my word for it as my ID track record here isn't brilliant, but I'd tend to agree re the first pic. Pretty strong super, and if I'm making proper visual sense of the image, a strong wingbar which would fit Yellow-browed.

Larry Sweetland · Jan 5, 2016

KenM said:
...and Canary Island Chiff Chaff for the third? Cheers

it's not known to occur on Fuerteventura I believe

Brian J Small · Jan 5, 2016

Does Iberian Chiffchaff occur on Fuerte? I tend to think not.

Brian S

aeshna5 · Jan 5, 2016

Djerf said:
The first one looks like a Yellow-browed Warbler.

Joakim

It is + Ken already knew that as he alluded to in his post.

Djerf · Jan 5, 2016

If Ken knew that, why does Ken ask in this forum?

Is the "Brownie points" part of his post the alluding part?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownie_points

J

aeshna5 · Jan 5, 2016

Djerf said:
If Ken knew that, why does Ken ask in this forum?

Is the "Brownie points" part of his post the alluding part?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownie_points

J

Yes. I think he was interested in the species of Chiffchaff in the other 2 photos.

Djerf · Jan 5, 2016

Thanks for helping out Aeshna5

Jonno52 · Jan 5, 2016

aeshna5 said:
It is + Ken already knew that as he alluded to in his post.

Ah, thank you. I read Ken's post too quickly and missed that. Mea culpa.

CharlesFentiman · Jan 6, 2016

It is fascinating to learn that Yellow Browed Warblers seem to becoming a regular winter visitor to Fuerteventura and I wonder if this is part of a new wider wintering area in NW Africa. Comments on this thread seems to suggest that Iberian Chiffchaff does not occur on this Island, but looking at the summer and winter range maps it seems odd that Iberian Chiffchaff do not occur in Fuerteventura since it seems to be a OK area for wintering warblers and about half way between published summer and winter ranges, be it slightly out to sea.

Have there been any records of Iberian Chiffchaff in Fuerteventura or indeed other Canary Islands?

lou salomon · Jan 6, 2016

i think i recall there have been records of iberian on lanzarote. and of course canary island chiffers scarcely get also to the 2 large eastern islands but they don't breed there. indeed, on lanzarote and fuerteventura yellow-browed warblers winter on a regular basis.

KenM · Jan 6, 2016

FWIW here are two more images of the bird, I have seen many variants of this often cosmetically challenging species, from almost tea coloured through to brown, however I've never seen one looking so green and white as this individual?

Clearly not of a collybita/abietinus/tristis persuasion?

I don't think it is enough to say ''I tend to think not'' without qualifying?

If indeed as Lou Salomon suggests ICC has occurred on Lanzarote, which is a ''stones throw'' from Fuerteventura, it wouldn't require much of an imagination stretch to consider...that it would be perfectly feasible for ICC to occur on occasion.

I've certainly been party to observing ''reputedly'' scarce migrants on this particular island...on most of my visits, (for me there are no ''boundaries'' as these are mostly speculative at best) only ''possibilities'' for me!

lou salomon · Jan 6, 2016

http://www.bird-lens.com/2012/05/02/iberian-chiffchaff-on-fuerteventura/

Mark Lew1s · Jan 6, 2016

lou salomon said:
http://www.bird-lens.com/2012/05/02/iberian-chiffchaff-on-fuerteventura/

Is that definitely an Iberian chiffchaff?

Brian J Small · Jan 6, 2016

Fat Paul Scholes said:
Is that definitely an Iberian chiffchaff?

Quite. To say that there have been Iberian on the canary Islands is possibly simply a question of perpetually repeating what others have written. And Ken does the same in thinking that Canary Is Chiffchaff occurs on Fuerte - which it does not.

If I check BWP, I see that Iberian is said to have occurred on the Canary Islands, so I have proven myself wrong, though I have not seen Ticehurst from which this statement is taken.

What proof would you expect from an Iberian Chiffchaff? Call at least? I agree that the linked photo is bright olive above, but that does not necessarily make it Iberian - though it may well be one. The super is fairly subdued and the observer does not describe the call.

I can't take Ken's photos too far as they have such poor colour and light artefacts that the true colour is hidden - though they again do look very bright and have a clear super and spikey bill. Did you hear them call Ken?

Brian S

Brian J Small · Jan 6, 2016

'our results support the idea that Chiffchaffs breeding in the Iberian Peninsula (brehmii) migrate longer distances than individuals wintering in this area (collybita). After controlling for body size and allometry of feather dimensions, breeding Iberian Chiffchaffs had a shorter tail and more pointed wings than birds wintering in the same areas. These results conflict with the idea that brehmii are sedentary and mix with European migrants in winter, as this would not explain why Iberian Chiffchaffs are better suited for long-distance travelling (Swaddle & Lockwood 1998, Pérez-Tris & Tellería 2001). The most plausible explanation for our results is that brehmii Chiffchaffs winter in Africa south of the Sahara, and hence move longer distances than European collybita wintering in the Iberian Peninsula.'

Just read this here - https://www.ucm.es/data/cont/media/www/pag-33468/2003_BirdStudy_50_146.pdf - which might suggest that Iberian would winter further south?

Brian

lou salomon · Jan 6, 2016

abs. agree, brian, it's just that i found it by quick googling. should have added that without a recorded call i'll give a .... to such claims. sorry for being misleading. but the probability should be high to find an ICC on the eastern islands i guess. is that an update on BWP which states its occurence on canaries?

KenM · Jan 7, 2016

Brian J Small said:
Quite. To say that there have been Iberian on the canary Islands is possibly simply a question of perpetually repeating what others have written. And Ken does the same in thinking that Canary Is Chiffchaff occurs on Fuerte - which it does not.

If I check BWP, I see that Iberian is said to have occurred on the Canary Islands, so I have proven myself wrong, though I have not seen Ticehurst from which this statement is taken.

What proof would you expect from an Iberian Chiffchaff? Call at least? I agree that the linked photo is bright olive above, but that does not necessarily make it Iberian - though it may well be one. The super is fairly subdued and the observer does not describe the call.

I can't take Ken's photos too far as they have such poor colour and light artefacts that the true colour is hidden - though they again do look very bright and have a clear super and spikey bill. Did you hear them call Ken?

Brian S

Brian...essentially, if you look at the "less than perfect" images, there appears to be a consensus in "crude terms" as to how "strikingly" green and white the bird appears?..this was what caught my eye in first inst...hence the ensuing shots.
Regarding the perceived length of the super, the first image in post 14, I believe contradicts your assessment above?

Also if you look at the images, you should see brown tints to the crown, this is a feature stated in Collins for ICC?

I did not hear it call, indeed the only Phyllosc. call that I heard, was from the Yellow-Browed.

FWIW having looked at the Summer and Wintering ranges (mileage covered) of
N Eastern P.collybita v Summer and Wintering ranges of P.ibericus...one might be forgiven for considering that the mileage covered for both is comparable?

Fuerteventura Phylloscs.....? (1 Viewer)

Well-known member

Attachments

My real name is Mark Lewis

Well-known member

John (a bad birdwatcher)

Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

John (a bad birdwatcher)

Active member

the birdonist

Well-known member

Attachments

the birdonist

My real name is Mark Lewis

Well-known member

Well-known member

the birdonist

Well-known member

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread