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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SteveClifton" data-source="post: 1383692" data-attributes="member: 48420">I can see what you mean here, esp. with regard to those 'wing bars', but would think a hybrid to be highly unlikely. Of course, stranger things have no doubt happened. The bird does look too large-billed for either Reed or Rustic, but in most other ways it looks fine to me.The reasons why I now think that Corn Bunting is a better alternative than Reed are:-the bill looks too heavy for a normal British Reed Bunting-the entire bird looks quite front heavy-the median coverts seem to have whitish tips-the crown and malar stripe look quite strongly streaked-the lower mandible looks straw coloured-in the first photo, where the tail is best visible, no white edges are visible, and the upperside of the tail looks quite pale (Originally posted by CAU)I would agree with your first three points, but disagree with the last 3!More specifically:the coarsely streaked breast and flanks don't look right for Corn B. I've just looked at the birdguides photo archives (72 images of Corn) and almost all of them have very finely 'pencil streaked' underparts. Even the pale submoustacial stripes and supercilium are finely streaked giving a less contrasty look than this bird.Lower mandible looks grey on my screenTail sides don't look pale on the first image, but if you look closely at the lower edge there appears to be a pale edge. As it's in shadow, it doesn't contrast-but in the first pic in post 8 it certainly does look white-sided.On balance, the wing bars (it has a House Sparrow's wings!) and heavy-ish bill go against it being a Reed, but otherwise it looks fine in most other respects. I wonder how much the large-billed look is an artefact of the images-remember how the bill size of the Teesside GW Gull looks different in some pics-small at times, and heavy in some of the more recent photos.Against it being Corn: Too coarsely streaked without the fine 'pencil lines'.General impression and Jizz says 'Reed' (to me at least)Seems to have white tail sidesPale tips to median coverts look too contrasty even for Corn! Explain that!Steve</blockquote>

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