Kuwait Isabelline/Brown Shike (1 Viewer)

[ggregory71]

This bird, photographs of which are below, was featured on the WP Rarities in Kuwait thread. It could be:
Isabelline Shrike
Brown Shrike
A hybrid between the two
Specifically unidentifiable.
Shrike experts are welcome to give their opinions about this bird.

 

[ian hamilton]

looks like a isabelline shrike

 

[Howard King]

Isabelline for me to

 

[royc]

Looks like a 1st winter Isabelline Shrike to me,I`m no expert though

 

[Tib78]

I am by no mean an expert, but on plumage and structure, this bird looks better for an Isabelline than a Brown shrike:
-the head is not so big and the bill not so strong
-there is a white (albeit reduced) primary patch
-the reddish tail and pale lores fit Isabelline best

Regarding the subspecies, I can see features that are ususally associated with both isabellinus (such as buffish throat and supercilium) and phoenicuroides (such as the clear contrast between the underparts and the mantle and the reddish crown)

Looks like a 1st winter Isabelline Shrike to me,I`m no expert though

I can't see any obvious feature that make this bird a 1st winter (I am not saying it's not a 1st winter because Lanius shrikes can be very difficult to age, but I would like to know if your ID is based on some tangible feature or is it just an impression?)

Edit: I just found the thread about Kuwait WP rarities in the rare bird section, the pic on flickr :http://www.flickr.com/photos/awkgame/3222732778 shows some much neater contrast: the throat and ear-coverts look whitish rather than buffish and the supercilium is quite obvious...so I think phoenicuroides is a better option...

 

[HH75]

Hi all,
A most intriguing bird in some respects: the outer tail feathers seem noticably short, and, in particular, the primary projection seems short for any Isabelline Shrike other than arenarius, which this bird is not, though, that said, there seem to be too many pro-Isabelline features for this to be any taxon of Brown: the tail colour, head and bill structure, apparent colouration of the upperparts and tail would all seem to exclude Brown, and the small whitish patch at the base of the primaries would also point towards some form of Isabelline Shrike, though Worfolk (in his paper in Dutch Birding) says that some Brown Shrikes can show such a patch.
I agree with the posters above that it seems to best fit phoenicuroides, and my own leanings towards a 2cy bird would be based on, say, the apparently evenly spaced growth bars on the visible tail feathers, not to mention the small primary patch, though I would not make any great claims for the age.

 

[rockfowl]

I would agree with Harry, Tibs et.al, on the notes so far and that it's an Isabelline Shrike

Structurally this bird is an Isabelline for me also, the bill lacks the usual bulbous character of Brown (though their is a slight overlap with the smallest examples), head structure and for me, eye, Brown's appear larger with a generally more aggressive, fuller eyed appearance. The lores are very pale, a better point towards Isabelline though some Brown's, from experience can show this, it's not the norm. As indicated before, Brown Shrike can show some white at the base of the primaries, as here with this adult bird of the form lucionensis - http://orientalbirdimages.org/searc...esult&Bird_ID=2402&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1 and a superciliosus, again an adult, here - http://orientalbirdimages.org/searc...esult&Bird_ID=2402&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1

 

[Tib78]

Hi all,
A most intriguing bird in some respects: the outer tail feathers seem noticably short, and, in particular, the primary projection seems short for any Isabelline Shrike other than arenarius

The fact that there are only 4 primaries exposed should strongly point towards Brown shrike indeed; however I think the primary projection is of no use in that case: the primaries tips are rounded, so I assume these are not the longest primaries (P3-P4). Moreover, the primary projection stops well before the tips of the longest upper-tail coverts, to me, it also indicates the flight feathers are not fully grown.
Arenarius can be dimissed by the blackish colour of flight feathers. But I agree with Harry that the very short outer tail feather visible on the pic is quite disturbing, a view of the undertail would be good to clear this out. Also, Brown Shrike is said to have a narrower tail than Isabelline, but I don't have enough experience to judge this from this pic, maybe someone else can? There is lighter terminal band on the tail, I don't know whether this feature apply to a particular (sub)species?

Anyway I still think this bird is an Isabelline, althought some Brown Shrike looks pretty close to the subject bird:
This Brown shrike:http://orientalbirdimages.org/searc...esult&Bird_ID=2402&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1
Plumage-wise, it looks quite similar to the subject bird (but note the dark lores). Still, the bill is much thicker and the tail longer (but very reddish!)

Check also this bird (showing very well the typical graduated tail and the lores are not that dark): http://orientalbirdimages.org/searc...esult&Bird_ID=2402&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1

 

[HH75]

It is sobering to think that the variability and/or relative lack of knowledge of the 'brown shrike' group (collurio/isabellinus/cristatus), even after the pubication of some groundbreaking articles, can lead to even well-photographed birds such as this one causing more difficulties than one would imagine possible: while I am pretty 'happy' that this is most likely a phoenicuroides, there are a few niggling little doubts as yet, and I agree with Tib78 that a pic of the underside of the tail could be very helpful...

 

[JANJ]

In favour of Isabelline.

http://www.birdskorea.org/Birds/Identification/ID_Notes/BK-ID-Brown-Shrike.shtml

JanJ

 

[CAU]

I already expressed my views on this bird in the Kuwait thread, but just as an addition, note how short the outermost rectrix looks on the second bird here ('Neil's shrike', which should be an Isabelline Shrike):
http://www.tommypedersen.com/UAE-Shrikes_ID.htm
Note also the short primary projection on the fifth bird (which should by the way be 1cy based on the barring on the breast and flanks and on the moult contrast at the primaries).

 

[Tib78]

The ID made by Lars Svensson regarding "Neil's Shrike" is causing me trouble, the greater coverts look juvenal, to me this bird is a 1cy rather than an adult or am I missing something?? (one has to be cautious when discussing an ID made by such a, say, legend... )

 

[HH75]

The ID made by Lars Svensson regarding "Neil's Shrike" is causing me trouble, the greater coverts look juvenal, to me this bird is a 1cy rather than an adult or am I missing something?? (one has to be cautious when discussing an ID made by such a, say, legend... )

I also think that the greater coverts on "Neil's Shrike" seem to be juvenile feathers, due to the dark subterminal bands, and remain to be convinced that an adult bird could show a similar pattern...

 

[JANJ]

I doubt that an over one year old Isabelline shows retained greater juv/first winter greater coverts. However possible arenarius could according to Worfolk.

Some Oct Isabelline: (Alsirhan)

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=69760&highlight=isabelline+shrike

JanJ