"Problem Redpoll" - Grå / Polarsisik - Carduelis spp.
Redpolls
are not the easiest group of birds to deal with and are far from being
my strongpoint.
This pale individual turned up at my feeder together with a much larger
and darker individual. The pale unstreaked rump raised the possibility
of this bird being an Arctic Redpoll. Responses to appeals for help on
various mailing lists came back with varying responses - with more than
half going for Arctic.
The bird fed only on the ground giving only fleeting views of its rump and almost nothing of the undertail coverts - thus thwarting positive identification. A fleeting glimpse of the undertail coverts showed that there was one longish central streak there, probably around 2mm in width.
The large (>15mm) white and unstreaked rump is a major point in favour of Arctic Redpoll - it seems large enough and white enough to exclude Mealy. This should be enough of a clincher in itself really.
As for supporting features, the upperparts seem to be buffish brown with a broad white mantle (although I have seen plenty of Mealys with this white area). The face seems rather plain with little streaking on the ear-coverts. The greater covert wing bar is white and broad (but then the accompanying Mealy also shows this). The beak is small and "pushed in" - there is no comparison between these two birds!
The fact that this bird was noticeably smaller than the accompanying Mealy Redpoll is to me the main point against Arctic, the streaking towards the flanks seems a bit on the broad side and the buffish patches on the sides of the upper breast all make me a little doubtful as to this birds identity.
If this bird is an Arctic it would seem to be a first winter Coues's Artcic Redpoll - Carduelis hornemanni exilipes - it is way too streaked and too small to be C. h. hornemanni. Other features that seem to discount C. h. hornemanni are that the upperparts are not appreciably grey toned and that the bill is too small.
An "Icelandic" Redpoll could also be a contender - as these can resemble Coues's. Probability wise it is perhpas more likely to be a Coues's rather than a Icelandic Redpoll.
The bird fed only on the ground giving only fleeting views of its rump and almost nothing of the undertail coverts - thus thwarting positive identification. A fleeting glimpse of the undertail coverts showed that there was one longish central streak there, probably around 2mm in width.
The large (>15mm) white and unstreaked rump is a major point in favour of Arctic Redpoll - it seems large enough and white enough to exclude Mealy. This should be enough of a clincher in itself really.
As for supporting features, the upperparts seem to be buffish brown with a broad white mantle (although I have seen plenty of Mealys with this white area). The face seems rather plain with little streaking on the ear-coverts. The greater covert wing bar is white and broad (but then the accompanying Mealy also shows this). The beak is small and "pushed in" - there is no comparison between these two birds!
The fact that this bird was noticeably smaller than the accompanying Mealy Redpoll is to me the main point against Arctic, the streaking towards the flanks seems a bit on the broad side and the buffish patches on the sides of the upper breast all make me a little doubtful as to this birds identity.
If this bird is an Arctic it would seem to be a first winter Coues's Artcic Redpoll - Carduelis hornemanni exilipes - it is way too streaked and too small to be C. h. hornemanni. Other features that seem to discount C. h. hornemanni are that the upperparts are not appreciably grey toned and that the bill is too small.
An "Icelandic" Redpoll could also be a contender - as these can resemble Coues's. Probability wise it is perhpas more likely to be a Coues's rather than a Icelandic Redpoll.
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 |
| Tjeldstø, 29 January 2006 | Tjeldstø, 28 January 2006 |
The
accompanying bird, pictured below was clearly larger - something that
may go against the pale bird being an Arctic - perhaps this
Common
(Mealy) Redpoll is one of the abnormally large examples that can
occur.
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 |
| Tjeldstø, 28 January 2006 | Tjeldstø, 28 January 2006 |
