Subalpine warbler on The Gambia (1 Viewer)

[Deb335077]

If this is a subalpine warbler taken in The Gambia in Jan 2019, would it be eastern or western please
Thanks for any help given
Debbie

 

[KenM]

Based on the white outer eye ring outside the red, I’d venture Eastern?

Cheers

 

[Grahame Walbridge]

Based on the white outer eye ring outside the red, I’d venture Eastern?

Cheers

A feature shared by females of all 3 species Ken. One needs to see the tail pattern to confirm Eastern which is most unlikely option in Gambia IMHO.

Grahame

 

[KenM]

A feature shared by females of all 3 species Ken. One needs to see the tail pattern to confirm Eastern which is most unlikely option in Gambia IMHO.

Grahame

An unspecified Subalpine it is Grahame.👍

 

[chowchilla]

Has Eastern ever been definitively recorded in The Gambia, or are visiting birders assuming Western and not investigating further?

 

[01101001]

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There is only one record from Niger and one record from Nigeria, but I somewhat doubt these people knew what they were ticking since they left nary a comment. Apart from that, two reliable records in the Canaries and three in Morocco.

EDIT:

At least here in Senegal, the majority are clearly Western Subalpines, but what about Moltoni’s? Its breeding grounds are quite well known: western Mediterranean islands (Sardinia, Corsica, Balearic Islands) and part of central and northern Italy, where locally sympatric with Western Subalpine. However, it quickly became clear that very little is known about the species’ distribution in winter and during migration in Africa.

(from: Where does Moltoni’s Warbler overwinter?)

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[KenM]

Apparently, 4 Eastern (race albistriata) birds were rung and imaged in SE Morocco during March’19….not quite the Gambia but worth considering?

Cheers