Stonechats by Ewan Urquhart

Author:Ewan Urquhart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2010-08-12T00:00:00+00:00

SIBERIAN STONECHAT

Saxicola maura

Plates 6 & 7

Muscicapa maura Pallas, 1773, Reise versch. Russ. Reichs, 2, p.428—Karassum, [Ishim River, western Siberia] Etymology maura from Latin maurus meaning Moorish, African = black Alternative names Collared Stonechat, Collared Bush Chat, Collared Indian Bush Chat, Black-headed Chat

TAXONOMY

Polytypic. See discussion on page 131.

IDENTIFICATION

There are distinct plumage characteristics attributable to the subspecies comprising Siberian Stonechat (listed below) that allow them to be identified from the two western races comprising European Stonechat. The most important is the tone and extent of the colouring on the rump and uppertail-coverts. Whilst subtly varying in these parameters amongst the eastern subspecies there is a commonality in that, compared to the two western races, rump and uppertail-coverts are always paler rufous-buff and totally unmarked. The rump-patch is also considerably larger than is normally found in either of the western races and gives in many cases a ‘wrapped-around’ impression extending onto the sides of the rump, which is not found in European Stonechat. The general overall colour of the upperparts and underparts of this group in autumn and winter is also paler than in European Stonechat.

Main identification criteria of Siberian Stonechat compared to European Stonechat

1. Rump and uppertail-coverts are always a paler orange-buff or rufous-buff and diagnostically without any dark streaking or spots. Male rump shows increasingly white owing to abrasion of the orange-buff tips from very early in the year, often January, and is pure white by the time breeding commences. Female rump is always unmarked and paler, being orange-buff rather than the darker buff-brown spotted and streaked with black of females of European Stonechat. The longest tail coverts of female have thin pale brown shaft-streaks but these are not visible in the field. Some of the shorter tail-coverts often become white as feathers wear.

2. The pale area of the rump and uppertail-coverts is always more extensive in both sexes extending over all the rump and tail-coverts and, in some males, marginally onto the lower back. In males it often gives a ‘wrapped-around’ impression extending onto the sides of the rump. On Siberian Stonechat the pale area of the rump on both sexes extends up the body to level with or above the tip of the innermost tertial (09). On European Stonechat it usually only reaches to level with longest outermost tertial (07) or falls between (07) and the middle tertial (08).

3. The underwing-coverts and axillaries of adult males are diagnostically black, and some first-year males can also have black feathers as early as September.

4. The tail is marginally (although not invariably, and not visibly in the field) white at the base in male S. m. maura, indica and a small proportion of stejnegeri. It is more extensively white at the base of the tail and visible on some males of S. m. armenica, and extends over a large part of the tail and is highly visible in all male S. m. variegata. It is buff at the base and visible, but not extending over such a large area, in female S. m.

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