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Bluetail/robin sort? India (1 Viewer)

Tiraya

San Diego CA
United Kingdom
Among my short time at Lama Camp I had a few second glimpse at this fellow. It seemed much like a Himalayan bluetail but, well, without a blue tail. I'm not really confidently finding anything else with this colouration and "attitude".

original.jpeg

original.jpeg
 
Maybe a Shortwing?
I would say the tail is too long, as are the wings. The way it's pointing its wings downwards and cocking its tail reminds me of a Flycatcher. The throat is very white - could it be juvenile White-gorgeted? I can't find an image of one though.
 
I would say the tail is too long, as are the wings. The way it's pointing its wings downwards and cocking its tail reminds me of a Flycatcher. The throat is very white - could it be juvenile White-gorgeted? I can't find an image of one though.
Possibly, top image here is not a million miles away?

 
The throat is very white - could it be juvenile White-gorgeted? I can't find an image of one though.
Hi Andy B,

Grimmet et al 'Birds of India' has an illustration of juvenile, and I attach it here (3b). (I also couldn't find one online; and I agree with Butty that the photo linked by Andy A is not a juvenile).

I think you are probably right, because it looks way closer in colouration and posture than anything else in the books - but, of course, my opinion in this region is not worth much.

If it's juvenile, I would say it's part-way to adult. It has lost the flecking on the head, and I think you can see the black border to the white throat-patch starting to appear, but it still has the dark streaking on the chest.

Anyway, I hope this helps; and if it doesn't, then apologies in advance.

White-Gorgeted.jpg
 
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Hi Andy B,

Grimmet et al 'Birds of India' has an illustration of juvenile, and I attach it here (3b). (I also couldn't find one online; and I agree with Butty that the photo linked by Andy A is not a juvenile).

I think you are probably right, because it looks way closer in colouration and posture than anything else in the books - but, of course, my opinion in this region is not worth much.

If it's juvenile, I would say it's part-way to adult. It has lost the flecking on the head, and I think you can see the black border to the white throat-patch starting to appear, but it still has the dark streaking on the chest.

Anyway, I hope this helps; and if it doesn't, then apologies in advance.
I don't recall stating that the image was of a juvenile, I was trying to illustrate the scalation which is not shown in any books I have.
 
Surely a moulting juvenile John with that extensive black scaling/streaking to the underparts.

Grahame
Personally I'm not confident about the age from these photos. I get the impression that the dark marks below are due to loose feathers on a fluffed-out bird revealing the bases of adjacent feathers, rather than an actual plumage pattern. I'd also expect to see paler speckling above on a juvenile flycatcher. But yes, it could be in post-juvenile moult.
 
Ok, I'm glad this wasn't one of those embarrassingly easy IDs. Makes me feel a bit better!! It was in early April if that helps.

Interesting regarding slaty-blue, the images I looked at did not have a pale throat, or if they had colour, it was more brown there. I'm also possibly noticing that white-gorgeted has a shorter tail more like my bird, rather than longer? But the proportions seem to favour slaty-blue with a "smaller" head.

 
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