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appleton.dave
January 4th, 2010, 12:15 AM
There have been a couple of wintering warblers posted for ID on one of the Flickr fora recently - both have been Lesser Whitethroats and the latest one looks interesting to me.

My experience of Asian forms is pretty limited and I feel quite out of my depth with them, so apologies in advance if it just looks like a bog standard curruca to you! I think it's the tone of the brown upperparts, the fact that there's quite a bit of brown in the crown (at least on some images) and nape reducing contrast between crown and mantle, and the warm tones of the underparts that are making me hesitate to just label this as a normal Lesser Whitethroat.

Here are the photos:

photo 1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/23666292@N07/4240646916/)

photo 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/23666292@N07/4240647222/in/photostream/)

photo 3 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/23666292@N07/4239874193/in/photostream/)

photo 4 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/23666292@N07/4239874455/in/photostream/)

photo 5 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/23666292@N07/4240647960/in/photostream/)

Taken today (well yesterday as it's just turned midnight) at Forres in Scotland.

What do you think?
Brian S
January 4th, 2010, 10:06 AM
I know that these things are difficult, but this looks like halimodendri. I saw one in Suffolk a few years ago that matched this bird in many ways, trapped at Fagbury, and it was identified as halimodendri.

I hope Paul Leader might be able to comment.

Brian S
mafting
January 4th, 2010, 01:37 PM
Thing is, how many curruca are seen in this state of wear (January), and in snowy light...

I think the subtleties/variation/factors are so great that it's not justifiable to assign these winter birds to race safely without isotope analysis or ringing info.

I know it goes on a lot, but it's not really scientific.
Brian S
January 4th, 2010, 02:37 PM
Thing is, how many curruca are seen in this state of wear (January), and in snowy light...

I think the subtleties/variation/factors are so great that it's not justifiable to assign these winter birds to race safely without isotope analysis or ringing info.

I know it goes on a lot, but it's not really scientific.

This may be true based on published material on morphology, but there are those that are studying them in depth - relating morphology and voice to genetic work.

FYI, Paul Leader has written and says, 'Halimodendri'.

Brian S
mafting
January 4th, 2010, 10:14 PM
Any refs? I don't know who Paul Leader is.