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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Motmot" data-source="post: 1404434" data-attributes="member: 72">Agree that the id of a well marked ad samamisicus is pretty straightforward following this paper (I guess already was). But the variability in the extent of white in wings and darkness on upperparts is mentioned almost everywhere, even on the paper. Intermediate/intergradation zone birds are also mentioned almost everywhere, but not detected on this new paper (more study is recommended though). I can't understand how birds like the Kuwait one (specifically assigned to ssp phoenicurus on the paper), mine and its twin or the Shetland's bird can be assigned to any subspecies with certainty. To start with, they are all birds on migration, coming from who knows where. They are denying the possibility of them being one of the 'variable' or 'border line'samamisicus and accepting them as an unsual phoenicurus possibly from Northern Europe, but based on what? Striking Fall birds like these, with actual white (not just pale or light) on tertial and inner secondary fringes, I believe are very rare in W Europe (I've ringed literally thousands of Common Redstarts and only found this case). But then last year quite a few look-alike birds are seen in different W european countries. If it is an unusual variation in W european birds I'd expect it to be rarely but regularly seen, maybe a very few almost every year, but not in migratory mini-waves like last year. I understand more those waves as the arrival of migrants from who knows where.Or is it maybe just that birders are looking deeper into plumage variations and detect now those unusual ones? Time will tell. I'll keep an even closer eye on Redstarts from now on, that's for sure.Cheers,Eduardo</blockquote>

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