Redpoll in Warwickshire (1 Viewer)

[OldFatherTime]

I've not seen a single bird on the seed feeder outside my window in suburban Leamington Spa this year, until yesterday when the attached showed up! Can someone confirm this is a Lesser Redpoll? I think it's a first for me. It's spent around half an hour filling up before it disappeared.

I'm curious why the Lesser Redpoll is not mentioned by name in my Collins Britain & Europe, 1st or 2nd editions. It just appears as a subspecies note under the Common. Also why its species name is Carduelis cabaret in these books where everywhere on T'internet it's called Acanthis cabaret?

 

[Phil Andrews]

Not the best angle to identify Redpoll - a side-on view is much more informative.

Collins has jumped the gun on the Redpoll position - there is a growing move to treat as a single species but currently (as per IOC whom BBRC follow taxonomy wise there are still three species - Lesser, Common/Mealy and Arctic.

 

[OldFatherTime]

I have other pics, but none truly side-on.

 

[jogresh]

Lesser, nice garden bird 👍🐦

 

[Simon G]

Also why its species name is Carduelis cabaret in these books where everywhere on T'internet it's called Acanthis cabaret?

Carduelis is a genus that formerly contained most of the familiar European finches, but was split up following genetic research, with Redpolls being moved to the genus Acanthis. The 3rd edition of Collins reflects this change. It also partially reflects the split of Redpoll into separate species, but has only two rather than three: Redpoll Acanthis flammea - incorporating Lesser - and Arctic Redpoll Acanthis hornemanni.

 

[OldFatherTime]

Classification aside, what I find weird is that both my 2 editions of Collins make no mention of Lesser Redpoll - it's like they've expunged the name from the record. It's not as if it's a new name, my old books (T A Coward, 1950, and Collins Pocket Guide, 1959 & 1973) all mention the bird.

 

[Sugarmomma25]

Classification aside, what I find weird is that both my 2 editions of Collins make no mention of Lesser Redpoll - it's like they've expunged the name from the record. It's not as if it's a new name, my old books (T A Coward, 1950, and Collins Pocket Guide, 1959 & 1973) all mention the bird.

The Redpoll was just that: my knowledge is that in 2000, the Redpoll was divided into separate species.