North Yorks Pied Wheatear

[Bobolink44]

I assume this is a female type as 1st winter male would show a darker scaled throat? Is it typical looking? It's very orange below. Not questioning the ID just hoping for some free education on autumn wheatears and whether this bird is instructive in separating Pied from Eastern Black-eared and also what does female vittata Pied look like? Thanks in advance.

Photos here - scroll down to bottom of page for bird I'm asking about:
http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/gallery/search2.cgi?species=pied%20wheatear&start=21

[Brian S]

Bob

Okay, lots of questions, but I won't answer them all.

You're right, this is a female, and though ad and 1-w females look quite similar in the autumn you can see that the median coverts are black centred compared with the browner centred greater - though I think that the inner greater on the left wing looks black also. On an adult the coverts would all be the same age having undergone a post-breeding moult.

Yes, you're right again, males would have a black throat that was more or less fringed with white, obscuring it - with a first winter having the moult contrast in the wing (as described above) and pale fringing across the lores, apricot chest.....

Here's a 1-w male
http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=2237
And another with much more fringing on the face
http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=2209 - note the moult contrast in the wings as well, with two ages of greater coverts

And this looks like an adult male in autumn
http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=146
and this looks like an adult male in autumn
http://www.birds.kz/Oenanthe%20pleschanka/largee.html?1&158 - check out the black lores and though hard to see, I reckon all the coverts are the same age

I'm not going to do the Eastern Black-eared vs Pied thing here as I will save that for a rainy day.

Brian S

[Bobolink44]

Thanks Brian! If anyone knows of good online articles or photos to help separate female type Eastern Black-eared from Pied, would love the link. Thanks

[Tristan R]

Thanks Brian! If anyone knows of good online articles or photos to help separate female type Eastern Black-eared from Pied, would love the link. Thanks

There is a useful article on this subject accessible on the RBA website:

http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/RealData/ArticleDocument.asp?id=360&doc=360.pdf

[AndyB]

Great topic to delve in to:

Female Pied in the hand:
http://www.hawar-islands.com/blog/gen_stub.php/2008/03/16/slow_and_a_little_short_of_numbers

female Pied:
http://www.birds.kz/Oenanthe%20pleschanka/largee.html?6&124
http://www.birds.kz/Oenanthe%20pleschanka/largee.html?6&129
http://www.birds.kz/Oenanthe%20pleschanka/largee.html?6&121

there are some Eastern Black-eareds here:
http://www.pbase.com/dophoto/monachellaorientale

I also attach a spring female in the hand from Eilat below.
Good to compare with the Pied (http://www.hawar-islands.com/blog/media/blogs/projects/15mar08/piedwheatear4.jpg) in the hand

And compare to the present bird in North Yorks by John Harwood (scroll down to bottom):
http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/gallery/search2.cgi?species=pied%20wheatear&start=21
and this photo from Tony Dixon:
http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20081110115135.jpg

[Phil Woollen]

I assume this is a female type as 1st winter male would show a darker scaled throat? Is it typical looking? It's very orange below. Not questioning the ID just hoping for some free education on autumn wheatears and whether this bird is instructive in separating Pied from Eastern Black-eared and also what does female vittata Pied look like? Thanks in advance.

Photos here - scroll down to bottom of page for bird I'm asking about:
http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/gallery/search2.cgi?species=pied%20wheatear&start=21

Orange colouration due to the boulder clay its been hanging around on. I have a pic showing its breast feathers crusted with the stuff.