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Message: <blockquote data-quote="macrourus" data-source="post: 1147404" data-attributes="member: 43747">I think its an Arctic at a better lookand being now at home (with my books <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />  and since is not a Raptor <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />but I think too I'm either not able to explain in English my ideas or you are not able to be a bit caution with your self confidence in  identification of tricky species...I was just telling you that the supericlium look indeed odd and interesting, as other characters, therefor it could looked similar to an Eastern CW on this regards and deserve further look and study before pass it off so easely as a sure Artcic ...In my bad english (and traslating directly from Italian)  "could seems to be" means that it could also appear similar to and then, being also a "quick glance"  deserve more and deepr studies. 1) tip of lower mandible: CAU you would define this darkish, barely visible sparse hue  and NOT at all well demarked,  a dark tip to lower mandible? well, I would not... as then many people mis-interpreted a bit of darkish to lower mandible of Sykes' and pass them off as Botted and viceversa, as well as to various taxa of Oliveceous etc. etc. check this webpage for darkish hue to lower mandible... <a href="http://www.birdphoto.fi/lajikuvat/phycor/" target="_blank">http://www.birdphoto.fi/lajikuvat/phycor/</a>However I've checked some like 40 skins of coronatus in museum , and seen several with darkish hue on this area <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />2) long-primary pojection: indeed also coronatus has a quite long pr-proj., often as loong as 2/3 of undertail coverts and doifferences are not so EASY to detect and be sure about...chiefly in amoulting bird3) underparts: the TYPICAl bird are in fact as CAU and me reported, but we should always (at least would be advisable) take into consideration the natural variability. Some coronatus could show yellowish wash, cheifly over throat, underwing, carpal area and flanks as well as some borealis could show quite bright undertail coverts!!! 4) legs : indeed higly variable in colour, and could be pale in both with Arctic usually having paler legs in autumn and juv. (pers.obs. der Vliet et al., 2001, Dutch Birding 23: 175-191). 5) coronal stripe: in many, chiefly abraded, coronatus, the pale stripe over middle crown is barely visible, almost like a Hume's!  In this bird it seems to there be a paler line over the ege of the crown, but I think is indeed a light effect or just abarded feathres. So this should rule out coronatus and - now, with the other photos - put us in strong favoru of Arctic !I just wonder, why when people put photos to ID, they always put a single one, and not even the best or most useful, and wait before putting the others so we can study them better ? CiaoAndrea Just a bit always over-caution on tricky species ID, and maniac over variability and discussion on their possible pitfal  <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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