Black bird with white rump (1 Viewer)

[Osprey_watcher]

Just driving back to work when a bird flew across the road in front of me. It was going from a area of shrub to a wooded area.
It was about the size of a blackbird and was either black or dark brown.
I thought it was a blackbird until a saw it had white bar across the rump area.
Anyone know what it was?
I haven't got my bird guide with me, it's at home.
:h?:

 

[Rob Smallwood]

I suppose it could have been a partially albino blackbird? - blackbirds are prone to albinism.

From my experience every bird with a white rump I ever see in woodland turns out to be a Jay!

 

[dbradnum]

Fieldfare?

They show a fairly prominent silvery rump contrasting with dark wings and tail... could appear whitish in strong light?

 

[Osprey_watcher]

I suppose it could have been a partially albino blackbird? - blackbirds are prone to albinism.

From my experience every bird with a white rump I ever see in woodland turns out to be a Jay!

Thought about albinism, but the white seemed too uniform. All the other partial alibinos I've seen the white seemed haphazard.
Definately not a jay.

Fieldfare? Maybe.

 

[birdman]

Bullfinch, Wheatear and Jay are my "White Rump" birds, and the Bully and Jay are out on size alone.

Think the Wheatear would struggle on size, even if the light was odd enough to make the rest of it look black.

Strong light to make a Fielfare rump look white woud surely lighten the whole bird?

Sorry... not much help really!

 

[dbradnum]

Think the Wheatear would struggle on size, even if the light was odd enough to make the rest of it look black.

...not to mention unlikelihood of occurrence in Lancashire right now

 

[birdman]

Aye... that too!

 

[Osprey_watcher]

Was pretty strong sunlight.

Having looked at the pictures in the gallery I think fieldfare is favourite.
And I have heard a song in the trees that it flew into that sounds like the one described on the RSPB web site.

 

[Phil Carter]

Any ditches about? What about Green Sand?

Phil

 

[Rob Smallwood]

There were big flocks of Fieldfare moving about in Cheshire (Marbury) on Sunday.

 

[Osprey_watcher]

Any ditches about? What about Green Sand?

Phil

Wouldn't have thought so.

 

[Osprey_watcher]

Local report says that 200 Fieldfare were about half a mile away a couple of days ago, so I guess I'll settle for that. Thanks

 

[Immy]

Just driving back to work when a bird flew across the road in front of me. It was going from a area of shrub to a wooded area.
It was about the size of a blackbird and was either black or dark brown.
I thought it was a blackbird until a saw it had white bar across the rump area.
Anyone know what it was?
I haven't got my bird guide with me, it's at home.
:h?:

I know this thread is really old but just thought I would say I have just had exactly the same experience. Brown/black bird with a clear white bar across the rump. Behaving like a blackbird. In hedge near farmland. Definitely not any of the other birds suggested - can't find anything similar in guides. I'm thinking it must be a blackbird with a very uniform white patch or an unrecognised subspecies?! What is weird is I saw a small group of birds about 8 miles away with similar markings although I think they may have been travelling ring ouzels because after they'd gone I couldn't remember if the white band was on their neck or rump! 🙄

 

[delia todd]

Hi Immy and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. I have a young Blackbird with a very pale patch in the middle of his back, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to it when his moult is completed.

Leucism seems to vary between the odd white feather, large patches of white, mirrored copies of white on each side and reduced pigmentation of any colour. You can read more about this condition in our Opus article: Dictionary G-L - BirdForum Opus

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

 

[Immy]

Hi Immy and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. I have a young Blackbird with a very pale patch in the middle of his back, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to it when his moult his completed.

Leucism seems to vary between the odd white feather, large patches of white, mirrored copies of white on each side and reduced pigmentation of any colour. You can read more about this condition in our Opus article: Dictionary G-L - BirdForum Opus

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

Hi Delia
Thank you for your message and sorry for the delayed response. Yes, I think a blackbird with leucism was the most likely thing. I’ll continue to keep a look out, especially for the potential Ring Ouzels but they seem to have passed through now – they had a particular call too so were definitely not a blackbird. Unfortunately my phone doesn’t support the Merlin app so I couldn’t verify their identity from their call. I must get another one.