Flycatchers in West Tonkin (1 Viewer)

[nrg800]

IDing birds here without a photo is a pain. I am sorry.

I was doing some trekking in North West Vietnam and I would just like some help with the LBJs that I could take notes on and not identify. One of them I mainly would like to ask about because it looked like a female Daurian Redstart (apparently only recorded in W Tonkin (Robson, 2005))

1: Bản Hồ, Sa Pa, Lao Cai, Vietnam
Loosely associating with Eurasian Tree Sparrows. Uniform Brown with white-wing bar, wing-bar large and distinctive. Undertail Covets and tail (not sure about the rump, but I think so) were a more orangey-brown. Size similar (slightly smaller?) than the tree sparrows. Body Structure looked like that of Asian Brown Flycatcher, but the posture was more reminiscent of Rubythroat (Holding tail up, while observed). Seen for roughly 30sec at a distance of about 5m without binoculars (eating breakfast). On inspection of field guide looked like female Daurian Redstart.

2: Bản Hồ, Sa Pa, Lao Cai, Vietnam
On powerline above rice paddy. Uniform Brown, distinctive white chine patch, orange/buffy undertail. Brown very slightly darker on cheeks and forehead. Begging of eyebrows seemed to be moulting into white. Wings not mottled but also not uniform, undertail darker than uppertail. On field guide inspection looked to be a Female non-breeding (juvenile?) Grey Bushchat.


Thank you very much for any help that you can provide. Sorry I didn't have photos; school trip so no DSLR.

~Nathan Ruser

 

[dalat]

Hi Nathan,

difficult to give a definite answer on the descriptions only, but at the first glance I don't find any clear reason against your IDs.

Grey Bushchat in that area on a exposed perch makes sense.
Daurian Redstart should be possible in Sapa, I think there have been more records since. I wonder a bit about the association with Sparrows, but could be coincidence as well...

Florian