black- or red-headed bunting denmark (1 Viewer)

[andreas bruun kristensen]

September 27th 2015, this first year black- or red-headed bunting was found at Skagen, northernmost point in Denmark.

Four fotos attached.

More photos found here:
http://ecskagen.blogspot.dk/2015/09/httevrlingbrunhovedet-vrling.html

The identification has been discussed. Is it possible to identify this bird?
To me, the rather long bill fits black-headed much better than red-headed.
The wing looks fairly long with 4 (or 5) primaries visible outside tertials, and the streaks on the mantle are thin.

However, the rump does not look particularly reddish which it is supposed to be on black-headed.

I think this bird is a black-headed, but is it (almost) safe to exclude red-headed?

From the BBRC reports I see, that first-year black-headed are regularly accepted in UK. So I guess these first year birds are possible to identify.

Any view on this bird is much appreciated.

Best regards
Andreas Bruun Kristensen
Denmark

 

[KenM]

Presumably you have considered a hybrid, apparently it's not unknown where both RHB and BHB overlap?

Cheers

 

[lou salomon]

why hybrid? females and youngsters are similar enough - at least it exceeds me.

 

[Bryon Wright]

Andreas
cannot really help you here, only to say I think you have solved your own problem, with it being a BHB. Would go for BHB on the unlikely premise I used to pass a pet shop regularly with a cage full of these, mainly adult male BHB but also a handful of immatures and watched them develop. BHB to me is more like a smaller version of Corn Bunting, like you say all in the bill, whereas RHB veers towards Yellow-breasted Bunting in shape but most would consider them identical.