Is this a female Eurasian pied flycatcher ?? Kuwait , April 2017 (1 Viewer)

[bassel]

Hello mates

While birding at Jahra farms in Kuwait last April , I came through an odd looking flycatcher that I believed it might not only be a normal female semi-collared flycatcher knowing that semi-collared and as far as I know is the only "Ficedula" flycatcher occurring on passage in Kuwait . I have seen many female semi-collared on passage in Kuwait and this to me is something different .For me , I see a female Eurasian pied flycatcher in this bird and I really need some other opinions from yourselves since if it a Eurasian pied , this will probably be a first record . Opinions are required .

Strong feature I based my opinion on are :

1-Brownish upperparts and overall colour which is more on the brown side than greyish brown .

2- A very thin and weak white bar on the primary coverts that is way far from the wing edge , in addition to that the amount of white on the wing which is very less than any semi-collared I encountered .

3- The amount of white on the outer tail feathers which look also very minimal compared to semi-collared flycatcher .

4- Complete absence of a second wing bar on the lesser coverts, although for me this is not the most reliable feature as semi-collared and in rare cases might not show this second bar or might have only a hint of it .


So I am asking other opinions to check on the ID

 

[AlinoVegano]

I think it is semi-collared, similar to this one.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TiLRt7x7g...plk1xBJIzM/s1600/Semi-collared+Flycatcher.jpg

 

[bassel]

I think it is semi-collared, similar to this one.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TiLRt7x7g...plk1xBJIzM/s1600/Semi-collared+Flycatcher.jpg

Mmmm

But actually still I feel they are different , at least for the obvious bar on the median coverts . My bird completely lacks the bar , and even no hint of it . It is confusing.

 

[andyb39]

I think the white tips to the median coverts are there, just obscured. If you look very closely at the 2nd image, it is possible to make out the bar. The primary patch (vertical notch) is admittedly very weak.I can't judge how much white there is on the tail.

I wonder if this is a 1st summer female?

 

[bassel]

I think the white tips to the median coverts are there, just obscured. If you look very closely at the 2nd image, it is possible to make out the bar. The primary patch (vertical notch) is admittedly very weak.I can't judge how much white there is on the tail.

I wonder if this is a 1st summer female?

Thanks Andy

I am starting to be convinced and indeed on a 1st summer female . Had to admit that a pied flycatcher was my very first and strong impression due to many reasonable features, but after reviewing thoroughly all the literature I have in the past two days including the advanced bird ID handbook, it came out a first summer female is fit . I could figure out a very weak hint of a second wing bar , and the strong feature which I was depending on and that is the intensity of the bar on the primary coverts , turned out to be dependent on the age as first summers show less amount of white . This is clearly mentioned in advanced bird ID handbook under the section " ageing of black and white flycatchers " .Also the greyish wash to the breast is a feature of 1st summers .

So I think issue is sorted and many thanks to you and AlinoVegano