Northern Wheatear x Common Redstart hybrid (1 Viewer)

[jalid]

I do not see the habitat to be much of problem. Rural area in northern Europe, an old pile of stones adjacent to an agricultural field and small patch of pine trees close to that will make it possible for the two species to breed 50 meters of each other.

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Yes, that´s exactly what I meant for the one type of habitat... I do not know how common black redstart nowadays is in southern Sweden, when i visited southern sweden a few years ago i have only seen it in Malmö (urban/industrial area), whereas common redstart I saw mostly in open pine woodland or at the edges of open woodland and agricultural areas around villages with the landscape kept open by cattle grazing , and with stone walls and piles of stones also in the open landscape...
the other habitat where species could easily meet, would be these granite rocks and outcrops polished by glaces , where there also can be piles of rocks and at some places gnarly trees and shrubs with occasionally some nesting holes in the tree trunks...

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Really an “echo” of the last post Larry.
Early August found me in the Shropshire hills (Church Stretton) steep fern covered hills holding all our chat species bar Black Redstart.

Where I found several parties of Common Redstart and on occasion the latter perched out in the open atop“island hawthorns”where they flycatched up, in the manner of a Spot fly.

This astonished me somewhat and even more so, when I observed one well above me perched on an open boulder in the manner of a Wheatear.
All my previous experience with the species had been in open and enclosed woodland, thus a learning curve for me, the only “constant” being the presence of ferns for post fledging breeding purposes.

Cheers

Rather typical common redstart behaviour/habitat to me, when they are migrating, occasionally also breeding site if nesting holes available somewhere

 

[mummymonkey]

Another whinchat x redstart

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[Muppit17]

Another whinchat x redstart

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This is an interesting record, however is it really a hybrid. Structurally I looks to me from the photos as a Whinchat, and the evidence of it being a hybrid is the colour? When does erythrism become evidence of a hybrid?

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

This is an interesting record, however is it really a hybrid. Structurally I looks to me from the photos as a Whinchat, and the evidence of it being a hybrid is the colour? When does erythrism become evidence of a hybrid?

see post 18; the Norwegian whinchat x redstart which was proven by DNA, looks similar.

 

[mummymonkey]

Video of Shetland bird

https://twitter.com/x/status/1440997128713670656

 

[KenM]

The “tail shivering” is definitely a Redstart signature movement, fairly certain I’ve never seen Whinchat do this?

Cheers