cywong

Would experienced bird-watchers please help to identify this bunting?

Mai Po
24/12/2006

tmichael

A reed bunting I think we can safely say, but which one?

Bill (heavy) and one or two other features suggest Common, but it's got cold plumage tones and other features more like Pallas's.

I'm going for Common.

The big question(s) - where and when photographed?!

Mike Turnbull

cywong

Many thanks for Mike's reply.

The photo was taken on 24Dec2006 when I was in Hide No. 1.

This bunting was very shy. Although it was quite far from the bird-watching hide, it did disappear quickly, so only 1 photo could be taken for it and this makes the identification of it difficult.

kmike

As I understand it the grey centrl crown stripe is a sure feature to separate Reed Bunting for Pallas' Reed Bunting.  

I also know one was trapped at Mai Po last weekend

This may be the first one photographed in the field in HK - congratulations!

Cheers
Mike K

ajohn

I agree this is a common reed bunting.

Note the large size, very heavy bill and chestnut shoulder. The eastern subspecies recorded in HK are typically colder in plumage tone than European birds, hence Mike T's comment.

As Mike K mentioned, an individual was trapped in Gei Wai 8 last weekend (perhaps the same bird?) but it's a very difficult bird to see in the field in HK so well done!

cywong

Many thanks to kmike and ajohn.