not my record: pale Pied Wagtail | Japan, January 2023 (1 Viewer)

[HouseCrow]

This bird showed up in the inaturalist records yesterday; location is obscured. A very pale white wagtail. My layman's mind says it is not dissimilar to ocularis Pied Wagtail (pretty rare in Japan) but I have been wrong before.
What would you say?

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)

photo borrowed from site, without asking permission (notified her in the thread)

cheers,
Gerben

 

[MacNara]

My layman's mind says it is not dissimilar to ocularis Pied Wagtail (pretty rare in Japan) but I have been wrong before.
What would you say?

Sorry: wrong again.

Straightforward young (grey underparts) lugens White Wagtail with a slight reddish photo colour cast which I have removed below.

In ocularis, among other things, the black bib goes right up to the bill, which if you look carefully here it doesn't (the angle of the photo may make it look as if it does, but if you zoom in you can see that this is not the case).

Also not to be confused with 'Pied' Wagtail' which is the British name for the yarelli ssp of White Wagtail. There's no such thing as ocularis Pied Wagtail.

Also not to be confused with Japanese Wagtail Motacilla grandis: the Japanese name for this species - Seguro Sekirei - translates exactly as 'Black-backed Wagtail' but in English seems to be the name for White Wagtail ssp lugens. I don't know why this has been allowed to persist.

PS: the location of the original photo is Himeji, site of the famous castle

 

[johnallcock]

I agree, this looks like a young lugens - the eyestripe is broader behind the eye (usually same behind and in front on ocularis), the rump shows black feathers starting to emerge, and the wings (especially tertials) show more white than I'd expect on ocularis.

In ocularis, among other things, the black bib goes right up to the bill, which if you look carefully here it doesn't (the angle of the photo may make it look as if it does, but if you zoom in you can see that this is not the case).

Worth noting that this is only true in breeding plumage. In winter the throat is white and black is restricted to a band on the breast. Moulting birds can be intermediate in plumage.

 

[HouseCrow]

Of course, of course....fooled by juv plumage....not quite the first time.... Thanks for the correction!
I struggle with japanese and black-backed nearly weekly at inaturalist... Most are straight forward, a few aren't.

Thanks again

Cheers
gerben

 

[HouseCrow]

Ps. The location is obscured in inaturalist, i think the location is randomly picked and Himeji not the actual location... I should change it in kantori facebook group.

Cheers
gerben

 

[HouseCrow]

Ps. 2 i may be overlooking ocularis on inat (japan section), but i have not confirmed a single one there....reason to pick up the recently gifted (²nd hand) Pipits and Wagtails and study, study, study.