Finsch’s or Mourning? (1 Viewer)

[Muratfaik]

I took these pictures in Diyarbakır-Turkey in March 19th… the bird shows both finsch’s and mourning wheatear characters. Light orange undertail coverts and white upper back suspects me that this bird can be a subspecies of one of these species. Opinions please. Thanks.

 

[Muppit17]

I took these pictures in Diyarbakır-Turkey in March 19th… the bird shows both finsch’s and mourning wheatear characters. Light orange undertail coverts and white upper back suspects me that this bird can be a subspecies of one of these species. Opinions please. Thanks. View attachment 1505804View attachment 1505805

Small head & bill, plus the undertail being peachy would always lead me to call Mourning in the first instance.

However, I recognise this is out of range.

Neither photo really gives a clear impression of the bird, and would really need better photos and notes to be certain.

How many records have there been of Mourning in Turkey?

 

[Muratfaik]

I am not sure how many times recorded previously, but recently, photographed for the first time:

TRAKUS | Fotogaleri | Karasırtlı kuyrukkakan

TRAKUS Bulutlu ve sıkıcı bir günde İnanılmaz bir karşılaşma yaşadım. Esin Özden Doğan ile birlikle ayda bir gidip kontrol ettiğimiz bir rotada, Kara sırtlı kuyrukkakan la karşılaştık. Biz bu kadar nadir bir türü görüntülediğimizi bilmeden fotoğraflarını ç

www.trakus.org

The real question is; whether peachy undertail feathers or the white back is the more important identification criteria for selecting the species to which it belongs…

 

[01101001]

At least six different birds on eBird (including historical records): Sign in. There are photos from 2011 as well: Mourning Wheatear - Oenanthe lugens - Media Search - Macaulay Library and eBird.

 

[Muratfaik]

The recent six photograph belongs to same bird and taken in same place, same day. Next day I was there, and the bird was gone..

 

[Muppit17]

The real question is; whether peachy undertail feathers or the white back is the more important identification criteria for selecting the species to which it belongs…

Certainly the white versus black back is diagnostic for separation of the two species, and a photo of the upper side would be conclusive.

However, in terms of the undertail colouring, my understanding is that Finsch's has white undertail in the spring and only in the autumn would you find Finsch's with peachy colouring and extremely rarely one as extensive as in the photo. I see most of these species each year, but I would not say that I have extensive experience across the full moult sequence.

 

[Muratfaik]

The bird in photos that was taken in 2011 is a suspiciously identified since the bill is too stout for mourning wheatear and the ‘wariae’ is not an long range migratory bird. In adition to that, legs are too thick for O. lugens.