Given the location, lack of black and more pale throat if anything, whitish supercilium and heavy streaks on flanks I think Radde's Accentor is most likely, but in truth I haven't seen either species so I could be way off the mark.
it does have the look of an Accentor but the bill looks to heavy, I've seen six species and they all have dainty fine bills - is the large looking bill a photo effect? could this be some African species, very odd bird
The bill had me wondering too. I don't think this is entirely a lens effect although it does look like there is some wide-angle style lens distortion. The bill does look too heavy for our western palearctic accentors, and given the location, I suspect that it could be an African species. Also given the popularity of cage birds in Malta, one cannot rule out something more exotic.
Been driving me nuts...the wide shot gives a better idea of true bill (and eye) size...the other shots do distort the appearance, making bill and eyes seem overly large. Overall general impression is of a juvenile accentor, of which there are 13 species. Altai, Alpine, Rufous -breasted and Robin Accentors all appear to have various degrees of "red" in all plumages including juvenile, so I would discount these. Siberian juvs seem to have much in common with adult Siberian Accentors so a thums down here also. Raddes and Black-throated are the strongest contenders so far. Struggling to find images of other Accentor species in juvenile plumage. Brown and Yemen could do with a look. Japanese and Maroon-backed look like no-brainers. Koslow's looks like an also-ran. Dunnock should be a big no also, unless there is an obscure sub-species that carries this head pattern. Pale throat and heavy streaking on breast and flanks suggest Raddes' to me with Black-throated a close second
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black throated accentor i think
ReplyDeleteGiven the location, lack of black and more pale throat if anything, whitish supercilium and heavy streaks on flanks I think Radde's Accentor is most likely, but in truth I haven't seen either species so I could be way off the mark.
ReplyDeleteit does have the look of an Accentor but the bill looks to heavy, I've seen six species and they all have dainty fine bills - is the large looking bill a photo effect? could this be some African species, very odd bird
ReplyDeleteThe bill had me wondering too. I don't think this is entirely a lens effect although it does look like there is some wide-angle style lens distortion.
ReplyDeleteThe bill does look too heavy for our western palearctic accentors, and given the location, I suspect that it could be an African species.
Also given the popularity of cage birds in Malta, one cannot rule out something more exotic.
Been driving me nuts...the wide shot gives a better idea of true bill (and eye) size...the other shots do distort the appearance, making bill and eyes seem overly large.
ReplyDeleteOverall general impression is of a juvenile accentor, of which there are 13 species.
Altai, Alpine, Rufous -breasted and Robin Accentors all appear to have various degrees of "red" in all plumages including juvenile, so I would discount these. Siberian juvs seem to have much in common with adult Siberian Accentors so a thums down here also.
Raddes and Black-throated are the strongest contenders so far.
Struggling to find images of other Accentor species in juvenile plumage. Brown and Yemen could do with a look. Japanese and Maroon-backed look like no-brainers. Koslow's looks like an also-ran. Dunnock should be a big no also, unless there is an obscure sub-species that carries this head pattern.
Pale throat and heavy streaking on breast and flanks suggest Raddes' to me with Black-throated a close second