Beetle 25/12/2007 01:12
Red-throated? Red-breasted?
23 Dec 2007 @ Shek Kong.
Not sure is this a Red-throated [i]F.albicilla[/i] or a Red-breasted [i]F. parva[/i]
[img]http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u252/glurice/rtflycatcher_20071223a.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u252/glurice/rtflycatcher_20071223b.jpg[/img]
wgeoff 25/12/2007 07:30
This does look like Red-breasted [i]parva[/i], you can see the visual differences with this photo of the October Red-throated on Po Toi taken by Wallace.
[img]http://www.geocities.com/geoffwelch46/RTHROATFLY4.jpg[/img]
Red-breasted should have a mostly pale lower mandible (mostly dark for Red-throated), buffish white underparts (darkish grey for Red-throated), brown upper tail coverts (dark brown/black for Red-throated), plain throat pattern, large buff tips to greater coverts (whitish for Red-throated).
I recorded the call of this October bird and it fitted commercial recordings of Red-throated so I am sure it is a Red-throated. You need to check the call notes of your bird to see if they fit Red-breasted or Red-throated to be sure which species yours is. In this sound clip, the first two calls are Red-throated and the second two are Red-breasted
[url]http://www.geocities.com/geoffwelch46/RTRBFLYCHURR.mp3[/url]
Actually, your bird looks very similar to the November Po Toi Red-breasted (photo by Owen), so similar it could even be the same bird
[img]http://www.geocities.com/geoffwelch46/RBREASTFLYB.jpg[/img]
I am not yet convinced all these birds are Red-breasted Flycatchers from the western palearctic. There seem to be too many of them and too few Red-throated. I think it will take time before we can establish how common they are.