Buntings and Sparrows by Clive Byers

Author:Clive Byers
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Outermost (T6) and second outermost tail feathers (T5) of adult indicating range of variation. The most common pattern of each is indicated.

Adult male non-breeding Broad fringes of crown greyish-brown forming rufous-brown lateral crown-stripes, largely obscuring the underlying black feather bases, which sometimes show through. Supercilium rich buff. The ear-coverts and lores are relatively pale brownish, with eye-stripe, moustachial stripe and rear edge of ear-coverts darker brown. Submoustachial stripe and sides of neck whitish-buff. Nape grey-brown, with underlying white bases sometimes showing through. Chin buffish-white. Malar stripe blackish. Black feather bases of throat imperfectly obscured by pale fringes and often show through, particularly on the central breast. Mantle similar to adult male breeding, but slightly paler. Grey colour of back, rump and uppertail-coverts somewhat obscured by rufous fringes. Wings similar to adult male breeding, but fringes broader and less bleached. Breast and flanks tinged yellowish-buff, streaked brownish. Central belly and undertail-coverts whitish. Upper mandible dark grey. Cutting edge and lower mandible blue-grey.

First-winter male Virtually identical to adult male. Rump on average with stronger rufous tinge due to broader fringes. Minute differences in colour and structure of primary coverts detectable in the hand with experience (see ageing). Tail feathers pointed. Both primaries and tail feathers are more worn than in adult. Iris dark grey-brown.

Adult female breeding Crown dark brown, with varying amount of rufous-brown mottling, not always with obvious median crown-stripe. Supercilium whitish. Lores browner. Ear-coverts fairly uniformly brown. Submoustachial stripe and sides of neck whitish. Nape pale grey-brown, sometimes almost whitish. Throat whitish. Malar stripe blackish and prominent. Colour of upperparts similar to adult male breeding, but back and rump browner, with dark streaking. Uppertail-coverts browner. Wings and tail like adult male breeding. Breast, belly, flanks and undertail-coverts pale buffish-white. Breast and flanks distinctly streaked dark, with some rufous-brown blotches on the central breast. Bill blackish.

Adult female non-breeding Very similar to adult male non-breeding. Crown pattern appears streaked rather than spotted, as is often the case in adult male. The malar stripe is prominent and contrasts with the buffish throat. The breast and flanks are distinctly streaked. The nape is greyish-brown, without any white showing through.

First-winter female Virtually identical to adult female non-breeding. Age differences as in first-winter male.

Juvenile Crown chestnut, heavily streaked blackish. Supercilium buffish. Ear-coverts almost uniformly blackish-brown. Submoustachial stripe and sides of neck pale buff. Malar stripe broad, blackish. Throat yellowish-buff. Nape grey-brown, sometimes with a narrow, almost whitish collar. Mantle similar to adult female, but paler and with a few broad pale buffish stripes on the sides. Back, rump and uppertail-coverts yellowish-buff, streaked and spotted blackish. Lesser coverts buffish-brown. Median coverts blackish-brown with pale rufous-buff tips. The shape of the black centres is more pointed than in adults, showing a characteristic rounded tooth. Greater coverts blackish-brown with similar pale rufous-brown tips, together with median coverts forming narrow double wing-bars. Alula dark brown. Primary coverts dark brown, with narrow rufous edges. Tertials similar to adult female non-breeding, as are the primaries and secondaries. The tail feathers are similar to first-winter male.

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