Black-headed Bunting
Hi Thomas
You bird is a Black-headed Bunting - a very good record - Congratulations!
I saw one at Ng Tung Chai for a few minutes a couple of weeks ago. It looks a little different to your bird as mine did not have the brighter yellow feathers on the side of the breast.
The features to identify this bird are:
large dark eye, very fine black streaks on the head and pale pointed bill.
This combination rules out all the pipits and larks, which have different-shaped bills, heavier streaking and a clear supercilium.
You also have to eliminate Common Rosefinch and Oriental Greenfinch - but neither of these is quite the same colour, Common Rosefinch has shorter bill and Oriental Greenfinch has a completely different wing pattern, with a strong yellow bar - it also shows yellow at the base of the tail.
Baya Weaver is more heavily streaked on the back.
I do not know how to judge if the bird is an escape, but Ai wonder if the bright yelow feathers on the belly are the first signs of this bird moulting to adult male plumage? I am interested to hear the views of other with more experience of passerine moult.
Cheers
Mike K
