Siberian Stonechat? (1 Viewer)

[Henry H]

We just returned from Andalucia and managed to identify most birds we saw, but this one (unfortunately poor photos) doesn't look much like any Siberian Stonechat pictures I have seen elsewhere.

I wonder whether it is a Sib Chat but with its wings held back a bit thus showing more white than seems normal?

The photos don't do it justice, it was a lovely bright orange, black and white bird which I initially thought to be a little larger than a stonechat.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Henry H

 

[JANJ]

Hi Henry.

Quite impossible to be able to say anything about your bird if not a view of the rump can be seen. The rump area might be pale and seemingly unstreaked from a distance, but it requires a good close view of the back of the bird.

JanJ

JanJ

 

[rockfowl]

Henry,

I'm a bit confused as to why your reference is Siberian Stonechat as opposed to (Common) Stonechat in Andalucia, the former being a scarce vagrant. However, your pictures do superficially show a bird with features of Siberian (the very white grounding to the underparts, the seemingly extensive collar). The images posted do not show enough of the bird eg the rump (which is a clean unmarked white on Siberian) or the more extensive white shoulder of Siberian to be able to confirm this. To me this is a male Stonechat in almost full spring plumage, beyond that, it's too difficult to tell from the images and the birds themselves are very variable.

Hope this helps

Mark

 

[Henry H]

Thanks JanJ and Mark for your comments - I'll have a look at the video my wife took of it and see if I get any better views. At least I know what to look for, specifically.

The reason I have posted it on here is my reluctance to believe it would be the rare vagrant rather than the common stonechat. It just looked (throughthe bins) much 'cleaner' than my other stonechat sightings from the day before. And it has so much more white showing. My initial reaction on seeing it was that it was different to any other stonechat I've seen. Maybe it was the lighting.

 

[Ruby]

Hi Guys,

When we were in Spain last Spring we saw several Stonechats that we thought we dead ringers for the race Maura - main things that we noticed was the extensive white collar and very small amount of apricot on the breast...this giving the bird an overall 'black and white' look that was noticably different from the other Stonechats that we saw.

Looking at my (old!) Collins, it suggests that this is just a race, but am I to gather that this has now been split?

At the time, I posted a query as to opinions of what a Siberian-looking Stonechat might be doing in Spain, but didn't get any responses....

Previously, I hadn't noticed the rump colour as being an important distinguishing feature... I'll have a look back and see if I've got any pics that might help, but I seem to recall that I didn't have much luck photographing the birds in question.


Rgds... Ray

 

[CAU]

According to this report:
http://www.rarebirdspain.net/homolog_2006.pdf
there are only four accepted records of Siberian Stonechat from Spain (up to 2006), if I understood it correctly. This makes it as rare there as American Bittern...

Common Stonechats are quite varying, some males even have a rather white rump reminding of Siberian. The colour of the underwing coverts is a good feature. Females and first-winters are actually often easier to id than adult males.

 

[Motmot]

Check this Stonechat from Andalucia (Málaga) for an actual spanish weirdo. The text says this male bird paired and nested with a normal female.

http://www.seomalaga.org/image2.php?num=399&menu=album

 

[jimmyg]

I once had a stonechat that I was sure was Siberian, but male stonechats can be incredibly variable and as I didn't see the rump everyone I asked said it wasn't possible to identify - you have to see the white rump with no streaking.

I don't think Siberian stonechat has been split (at least not in the UK)

 

[lou salomon]

white rump occures in some ssp. rubicola too. you need to see the black axilliaries in maura.