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Possible Verditer Flycatcher? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Neil
- Start date
Larry Sweetland
Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'
Pale Blue Flycatcher? Belly looks pretty grey and I'm getting more of a Cyornis head shape
Larry,
You are not alone in thinking Pale Blue. It would only be the second record for Hong Kong.
Neil
birdboybowley
Well-known member.....apparently so ;)
Certainly not a Verditer...I think Larry may have nailed this one. Excellent find for HK
johnallcock
Well-known member
I would be interested to know why people think this is Pale Blue, and what features are being used to rule out female Verditer.
We have had several similar birds photographed in HK and claimed as Pale Blue. The consensus has always been that these are female Verditer. To me, Neil's bird looks like a typical female Verditer so if this is, indeed, Pale Blue we have been consistently misidentifying these in HK.
For the record, features leading me to conclude this is Verditer are: deep, relatively short bill without hooked tip; uniform grey underparts (no contrast between breast and belly); lack of pale forehead/supercilium; short dark legs; retained juvenile greater coverts without pale tips (I'm not sure if this is an important feature, but I would expect a cyornis to have a brown, spotted juvenile plumage).
There seems to be a lot of variability in both species across Asia, and I have never (knowingly!) seen Pale Blue Flycatcher, so it would be interesting to know why others are so sure this is Pale Blue.
By the way, I think the old HK record may be on the verge of being removed from the HK list as a possible escape, so another confirmed Pale Blue would be particularly important for HK!
We have had several similar birds photographed in HK and claimed as Pale Blue. The consensus has always been that these are female Verditer. To me, Neil's bird looks like a typical female Verditer so if this is, indeed, Pale Blue we have been consistently misidentifying these in HK.
For the record, features leading me to conclude this is Verditer are: deep, relatively short bill without hooked tip; uniform grey underparts (no contrast between breast and belly); lack of pale forehead/supercilium; short dark legs; retained juvenile greater coverts without pale tips (I'm not sure if this is an important feature, but I would expect a cyornis to have a brown, spotted juvenile plumage).
There seems to be a lot of variability in both species across Asia, and I have never (knowingly!) seen Pale Blue Flycatcher, so it would be interesting to know why others are so sure this is Pale Blue.
By the way, I think the old HK record may be on the verge of being removed from the HK list as a possible escape, so another confirmed Pale Blue would be particularly important for HK!
Last edited:
Larry Sweetland
Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'
You may well be right John, I was certaibnly far from sure. There's another ID Verditer/Ple Blue thread thread on here somewhere, and I originally thought the bird was Verditer, but the consensus was Pae Blue in the end, and I was surprised after looking at lots of pics how variable they can both appear. It left me thinking that I'd been overlooking Pale Blue for years in the field (I've only knowingly seen one male which was obvious in the field most of the time it ws visible!)
Some of the pics on OBC images of Pale Blue show that the bright pale blue forehead/super isn't always visible, and that the overall clour tone varies hugely with light (obviously). Interesting point about the presumed retained juv covts though. Is this the only pic of the bird, as it's a shame the head isn't in profile. I was getting a long-billed impression, but it's not the best angle.
Be great to hear some other opinions.
Some of the pics on OBC images of Pale Blue show that the bright pale blue forehead/super isn't always visible, and that the overall clour tone varies hugely with light (obviously). Interesting point about the presumed retained juv covts though. Is this the only pic of the bird, as it's a shame the head isn't in profile. I was getting a long-billed impression, but it's not the best angle.
Be great to hear some other opinions.
johnallcock
Well-known member
Another picture has now been posted to the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society website http://www.hkbws.org.hk/BBS/redirect.php?tid=15199&goto=lastpost#lastpost
A bit more in profile but drinking (so bill slightly open)
Interesting how general opinion on HKBWS favours Verditer, and general opinion on here favours Pale Blue. Any more opinions welcome!
A bit more in profile but drinking (so bill slightly open)
Interesting how general opinion on HKBWS favours Verditer, and general opinion on here favours Pale Blue. Any more opinions welcome!
Larry Sweetland
Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'
bill looking smaller in these shots.
halftwo
Wird Batcher
Nah, Pale blues don't exist.:-O
johnallcock
Well-known member
More photos and video now posted to HKBWS website (http://www.hkbws.org.hk/BBS/redirect.php?tid=15199&goto=lastpost#lastpost). I would be interested to know what others make of these.
