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Message: <blockquote data-quote="John Cantelo" data-source="post: 1384237" data-attributes="member: 2844">Well, head down and here goes!  I’ve tried really hard, but I cannot remotely see Corn Bunting in this bird (sorry folks!).  In fact I’d put it at the bottom of my list of potential IDs.   My gut reaction was ‘Reed Bunting’ and it wasn’t until I noticed a lengthening number of posts that I appreciated that this ID was at ‘controversial’.   My reasons are as follows:- 1 – Shape and jizz – to me this bird does not have any of the dumpy ‘I’ve-eaten-too-many-pork-pies’ look of  Corn Bunting.  2 – Crown – this bird looks to have a distinctly paler median stripe to the crown – quite wrong for CB’s evenly streaked crown.  The head looks too high and ‘peaky’ too3 – Malar stripe looks too bold and the ground colour too yellowish buff4 – Cheeks too boldly marked and showing too much warm brown5 – To me there’s something about the flank streaking that doesn’t look right for CB – can’t think why!6 – Mantle looks too warm brown for CB7 – Too warm brown – almost ‘chestnutty’ – on the wing coverts8 – A distinct hint of warmer brown on the rump9 – Evidently white tail sidesThe only things that I can detect that suggest CB are a) the chest spot,  b) the ‘large’ bill and c) the white tips to the median coverts.    At times Reed Bunting can show a similar ‘spot’ (either as a result of ruffled feathers or a fortuitous combination of streaking).  Besides the spot in this bird feels subtly wrong for CB.  Personally, I’m not convinced that the bill looks particularly large or outside the possible range for Reed Bunting.  The white tips to the median coverts is the only odd thing about this bird – but to me  they look to bold for the average CB too!   Some form of wear, bleaching or simply a genetic oddity could account for this diversion from the norm – a far greater suite of  odd and atypical features are needed to squeeze this bird into the box marked ‘Corn Bunting’.  One thing for sure – if all the posters here had the bird in front of them for 30 secs there wouldn’t be any argument!  Cameras do not have to lie to confuse! I’m very tempted to close by saying that approaching 50 years of birding tell me that whatever this bird is, it isn’t a Corn Bunting, but that would only be to wind-up Deborah!!!! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />  (Good to meet you today!),</blockquote>

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