Isabelline Shrike - Info

Εκ μέρους του Rare Birds of Greece
http://rarities.ornithologiki.gr/

Με την βοήθεια της Κλαίρης Παπάζογλου, την οποία ευχαριστούμε θερμά, λάβαμε την γνώμη του Lars Svensson για τον Ξανθοκεφαλά (φύλλο/ηλικία κλπ) στο Σχινιά:

Dear Clairie,
The bird on the photograph is of course an IsabellineShrike. And in late March it should reasonably be afemale (pale lores, largely pale bill, barred flanks).Age can not be determined in spring in this species,since both adults and 1stY birds have a completewinter moult. Subspecies? It is actually moredifficult to say than sex. But, again relying onaverages and what is normal, this looks like aphoenicuroides (rather greyish back, fairly prominentwhite supercilium behind eye, at least centre ofbreast and belly whitish, with ochre tinge restrictedmainly to flanks).
What are the possible pitfalls where the above couldgo wrong?
1. Sex as female is 99% certain, the only way it couldbe imm. male is for it to be gravely aberrant.
2. Subspecies as phoenicuroides is 90% certain. Ileave a slight margin of error here as we still haveincomplete knowledge of variation. Some birds ofphoenicuroides and of isabellinus approach each otherto a level to invite confusion, in particular amongimmature and females.