Wheatear Cape Kaliakra, Bulgaria 24th May 2022 (1 Viewer)

[frogstar]

I'm not sure about this wheatear. We were photographing Pied Wheatear and Northern Wheatears and I can't decide whether this is a female Northern or Pied. Thanks for any help received.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Northern

 

[frogstar]

Northern

Thank you Andrew, could you explain why please

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Thank you Andrew, could you explain why please

It looks a fairly standard female Northern. The shape is quite plump and bulky compared to Pied, which are quite delicate birds. Pied should be more extensively dark on the upperparts without the obvious contrast between brownish wings and greyish mantle that can be seen here. This is roughly what a female Pied should look like at this time of year:

https://birds.kg/taxons/303/fronpic2.jpg

 

[Andy Hurley]

The Pied is duller, more dirty grey on upper chest, possibl y with streaking reaching mid chest. The back, nape and crown are also not as light grey as Northern, appearing also dirty greyish brown. The contrast between the uppers and the wings is not so obvious as in Northern.

EDIT: sorry Andrew, I cross posted with your reply.

 

[frogstar]

Thank you Andrew and Andy for the explanation. Hopefully I'll remember, but I seem to have more and more senior moments.

 

[CARERY]

My first step IDing wheatears is looking at the primary and tail projection. The wings are longest and thus the tail appears shortest in Northern W.

 

[Andy Hurley]

My first step IDing wheatears is looking at the primary and tail projection. The wings are longest and thus the tail appears shortest in Northern W.

I'm writing that down! Thanks Carery, its little pearls of wisdom such as this that helps improve a birders knowledge!