Olive-backed Pipit or Tree Pipit? (1 Viewer)

[Azan Khan]

Hello everyone, I'm looking for confirmation of this pipit's identification.
The pale-and-dark spots at rear-ear covert and the buffy frontal part of supercilium makes me think of it as Olive-backed Pipit. I don't know much how to separate either of these species based on mantle markings/streaks. Some Tree Pipits are also known to exhibit these features, which spin my head.

Can you please help with ID, preferably how to separate it from Tree Pipit, particularly such individual. I'd really appreciate your valuable response.

Malir, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
February 2024

© Salman Baloch

 

[kuzeycem]

Olive-backed for sure, some Tree Pipits may come close but not to this extent.

 

[Himalaya]

What would make it an Olive Backed?

The faint back streaking?

The huff at the start of the supercilium?

 

[KenM]

What would make it an Olive Backed?

The faint back streaking?

The huff at the start of the supercilium?

Olive back, broad pale supercillium, contrasting and adjacent black and white ear covert dots.
I would say a perfect example of OBP.

Cheers

 

[creedence]

Olive back, broad pale supercillium, contrasting and adjacent black and white ear covert dots.
I would say a perfect example of OBP.

Cheers

And the tertials are fringed with olive

 

[Azan Khan]

Thank you everyone for your time and valuable responses. I really appreciate it. It is just second national record of this species for Pakistan.

 

[Butty]

It is just second national record of this species for Pakistan

Pretty odd, given that Grimbo & Inskipps show it wintering up close to the NE border.

 

[KenM]

Pretty odd, given that Grimbo & Inskipps show it wintering up close to the NE border.

Perhaps hunting OBP’s is low down the list of priorities in that part of the world.😮

 

[Grahame Walbridge]

Pretty odd, given that Grimbo & Inskipps show it wintering up close to the NE border.

Not really Butty, migrant yunnanenis is pretty scarce in NW India (OP is yunnanensis BTW), largely absent from much of Rajasthan and Punjab. Nominate hodgsoni breeds to HP (and Jammu & Kashmir?) so possibly more likely (in the north) although it moves very little in winter.

Suggest the paucity of records in Pakistan is compounded by reduced observer coverage.

Grahame

 

[Azan Khan]

Agree, it is probably due to less coverage here. The first observation was in Jan 1996 Islamabad by foreigners. Birding has just gotten a bit of momentum in Pakistan in recent years due to social media networking of birders. More coverage will yield frequent sightings of this and other species over the years.

A group of five Smews was another interesting observation from Pakistan, few days ago.

 

[Himalaya]

Greece has just had a first national record. 2 birds together I believe.