Identification and European Status of eastern Stonechats Iain S. Robertson

The eastern races of the Stonechat look very different from the familiär west European ones. Some might even be dismissed as . Of 25 in western , more than half have been in the last three years here are about 24 races of the Stonechat torquata, all breeding Twithin the Palearctic or the Ethiopian regions (Vaurie 1959). Eight breed in the Palearctic: two west European races, S. t. rubicola and S. t. hibernans, and six eastern forms, which are distinct from those of western Europe, but cause identification problems. Although at least 25 eastern Stonechats have been recorded in west Europe since 1883 (see later section), there is little information available to

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[Brit. , 70: 237-245, June 1977] 237 238 Eastern Stonechats help the average birdwatcher. Those works which do contain descriptions tend to concentrate on adult males, but it is the female or immature plumages that are most likely to cause difficulties. This paper attempts to simplify the problem of field identification; it is based on a study of skins in the British Museum (Natural History), the descriptions of British and Continental records, the available literature and correspondence with observers who have experience of the eastern subspecies.

General features Eastern Stonechats show wide variation throughout their ranges, but there are features common to most races: the most important is the unmarked rump and uppertail-coverts. The colour of the rump patch varies considerably, and is dealt with in detail under the individual races, but it is always unmarked by dark streaks or spots. In autumn, it tends to be ginger or orange, gradually abrading to white; some may have become white by early autumn, but others may still be orange in spring. As the orange or ginger tips wear off, there may be a patchy appearance, with the few remaining tips showing as blotches. The rump patch is generally larger than that of a west , and may have a 'wrapped around' effect, making it the most conspicuous feature. Adult male eastern Stonechats are similar above to those of western Europe, but the black feathers have buff rather than reddish fringes, although these wear off by the spring. The amount of white on the inner wing-coverts is usually greater on eastern birds and may be massive, but this is a very variable character, depending on wear, age and the indivi­ dual, as is the white neck patch, which may sometimes form a white collar around the nape. In most races, the underparts are paler and less rufous than those of west European birds, being sometimes reduced to a pale pink or orange wash on the upper breast, which may be demarcated from the white belly. The axillaries are jet black, a character confined to the eastern races. Some show white at the base of the tail feathers, but this may be obscured in the field by the uppertail-coverts. Females and immatures of all the eastern races are paler than any nor­ mal west European Stonechat, although S. t. przewalskii and S. t. stejnegeri may be less distinct. The pallid appearance gives a similarity to a Whin- S. rubetra or, in extreme cases, a Desert Oenanthe deserti. The pale mantle is conspicuously streaked with brown, and there may be a darker streaked cap. Many have a pale supercilium, which may be conspicuous, again recalling a . The underparts show little or no rufous and are usually pale orange or sandy, with a paler belly, and buff or white throat, often demarcated from the upper breast. There are conspicuous pale buff or white edgings to the secondaries and tertials, which may show as a pale panel on the closed wing, similar to that on an Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina. The amounts of white in the inner wing and on the neck are even more variable than in males and are of little value as field characters. The black tail is bordered and tipped with huffish, and some white may be present at the base of the tail feathers. Eastern Stonechats 239 c>

fc y/Jmaura 6 kVVVi tMvariegata ^< ^ &Zindica yV Kg rubicola/hibernans / s s \\ stejnegeri Wi&przewalskii jg§ armenica , a <}

Subspecific identification The distributions of the eight Palearctic races are shown in fig. 1. I have combined the Continental S. t. rubicola with the race S. t. hibernans, which breeds in Britain and , western Brittany and coastal , for reasons explained later. The map shows the breeding ranges so far as they are known, but it must be stressed that the boundaries are not well defined and some intergradation between races occurs, particularly in Afghanistan and Baluchistan (Dementiev and Gladkov 1968). The wintering areas of four eastern forms are shown, but, again, this is merely a guide. For the purposes of this paper it is convenient to split the races into three groups: (1) rubicola and hibernans, (2) maura and stejnegeri and (3) armenica and variegata. Of the remaining two races, indica is the least migratory, merely moving down the Indian subcontinent in winter; przewalskii, which is virtually inseparable from stejnegeri in immature plumage, breeds in the southeast of the region and, on geographical grounds, is unlikely to reach western Europe.

GROUP 1 S. t. rubicola and S. t. hibernans. These are the typical breeding Stonechats of western Europe. The two races are extremely similar and, indeed, Meinertzhagen (1953) doubted the validity of hibernans, while E. D. H. Johnson (in litt.) has been able to demonstrate a cline between the two forms: during my work on skins in the British Museum, I found them indistinguishable.

In this group, the small rump patch may dark brown. The underparts are rich be deep orange to white, but is always orange or russet, this colour usually extend­ spotted or streaked with black. There is no ing to the belly. Some individuals may show white in the base of the tail. The axillaries a pale supercilium, but this is usually ill- are buff or white, with grey centres to the defined. Familiarity with these birds in all feathers, even in old males. The females plumages is a great help when trying to and immatures have the black replaced by identify eastern Stonechats. 240 Eastern Stonechats

GROUP 2 S. t. maura and S. t. stejnegeri. These two races, colloquially known as Siberian Stonechats, have both occurred in western Europe. The race maura tends to be smaller than buffish fringes and the rump patch is the others and has a pale orange or white larger and is usually orange, even in adult rump patch. Males have a little white males. Some males show a marked exten• (no more than 5 mm) at the base of the sion of the neck patches to form a collar tail feathers, but it is obscured in the field around the nape, which may be broken in by the uppertail-coverts. Females show less the centre by a few dark spots; the amount white or none at all. Adult males have jet of white in the wing similarly tends to be black axillaries; young males may show greater. As in maura, the axillaries are jet this feature as early as September. The black; young birds may show this by underparts are paler than those of the September. In autumn, males are very races in group 1, being pale orange or pale below, and have a pale supercilium sandy. Females and immatures are also and a buffish or white throat, which is paler on the mantle, and have orange, usually demarcated from the upper breast. sandy or white rump patches, and buffish The white on the rump does not show axillaries. The throat is usually white and through until October at the earliest, and there is often a pale supercilium (but this may still be obscured by orange tips as is a difficult feature to examine on skins). late as April. The tail is tipped by a band The race stejnegeri is the most migratory; of pale orange or buff up to 2 mm wide. it is a little larger than maura and the bill Females have an orange rump patch with is longer and broader. The 2nd primary little or no white. The throat is pale and is longer than the 7th (Dementiev and the axillaries are buffish. The underparts Gladkov 1968). There is no white in the are pale buff, paler than maura. Skins of base of the tail. The orange underparts this race from Japan, which I examined in tend to be paler than those of maura and the the British Museum, have rich rufous colour may be reduced to a pale wash on underparts, a feature apparently not the upper breast. The mantle has long commented on previously.

54. Three views of a Stonechat Saxicola torquata of one of the two group 2 races, probably S. t. maura, Texel, , October 1973. Note general similarity to a Whinchat S. rubetra, the wing panel, supercilium, demarcated throat and streaked upperparts (P. Meeth)

GROUP 3 S. t. armenica and S. t. variegata. These two races are not known to have occurred in western Europe, but, as they are migratory and come from an area which is the origin of several other vagrants, it is possible that they will be recorded in the future. No skins of armenica were available for at the base of the tail (up to a quarter of examination at the British Museum, so the length of the feathers), in the wing and the details given here are from the litera• on the neck. The underparts are a deep, ture, mainly Dementiev and Gladkov rich chestnut, contrasting with a pure (1968). It is a distinctive race. Adult males white belly: a striking combination. It is are similar to maura, but have more white also the largest of the Palearctic races, Eastern Stonechats 241

55. Stonechat Saxicola lorquata of one of the two group 2 races, probably S. /. slejnegeri, Utsira, , October 1974. Moult in progress and tips of rump feathers abraded {R. Lqfslad) with a wing length of 70-75 mm. Females it is usually white, but sometimes has a few and immatures are probably similar to orange spots. The axillaries are jet black. group 2 birds, but with darker, richer Females and immatures show a lot of underparts. white in the tail and are paler on the mantle The race variegata is the most distinctive than other races, with long buff fringes to of all, with up to half of the length of the the feathers. The rump is usually white, tail feathers white at the base. The white rather than orange or sandy. The second wing patch is massive and the pale rump primary is longer than the 5th. patch is also larger than in other races; It is essential to use a combination of features when identifying an eastern Stonechat. A pale Stonechat may be merely a leucistic or faded rubicola or hibernans, but not if it also shows the other features, such as an unmarked rump patch, a pale wing panel or a supercilium, listed under the group headings and shown in fig. 2. A detailed description is essential; full measurements and wing-formula should also be noted for trapped birds. It is far from easy to ascribe an individual to any particular race, but not so hard to place it in one of the three groups. Adult males should be racially identifiable, even in the field, but are very rare in western Europe. Reference to table 1 may help to place a into one of the groups, and fig. 3 is of value in the case of trapped birds.

West European records Until recently the records of eastern Stonechats had received little atten• tion in Britain. The problems of subspecific identification, coupled with doubts that eastern races could be safely distinguished from variant or faded west European birds in the field, led to deferment of decisions by the Rarities Committee on a number of British claims of eastern Stone• chats, pending further research. In 1974, a remarkable surge in records 242 Eastern Stonechats Table 1. Characters of races of Stonechats

GROUP I GROUP 2 rnbicola-hibernans maura stejnegeri

Size — Smallest — Rump patch Small, reddish- Large, white, Larger than maura. white, streaked or sandy-orange, orange-white. spotted unmarked unmarked Tail All black White at base All black

Supercilium $ Rare, indistinct Frequent, quite Usual, quite distinct distinct Breast Dark Pale Pale Belly Darkest Pale Pale-white Upperparts

Fig. 2. Examples of Stonechats Saxicola torquata in group 2 (left) and group 1 (right). Note that the paler, eastern, group 2 races (maura and stejnegeri) show supercilium, pale wing panel and unmarked rump and may resemble Whinchats S. rubelra in general appearance (from a painting by the author) Eastern Stonechats 243 Saxicola torquata and of Whinchat S. rubetra

GROUP 3 armenica variegata WHINCHAT

Largest — — Size White-orange, Largest, white- Pale brown, Rump patch unmarked orange, unmarked streaked (like) mantle) White at base, like White at base, White at sides Tail maura or variegata usually more than half feather length — — Always distinct Supercilium $

Darkest — Buffish Breast White White Pale Belly — — Brown, streaked Upperparts 6* — Pale, very buff Brown, streaked Upperparts $ — Black Buffish-grey Axillaries $ plumage (with an almost complete white collar) in Norfolk in May 1972. It was identical with a skin of stejnegeri from the Amur River, and had pre­ sumably arrived in western Europe the previous autumn and over­ wintered. A Stonechat shot at Gley, Norfolk, on 2nd September 1904 was accepted as the first British record of S. t. maura by Saunders (1907). The specimen was not available to Witherby et al. (1940), but was included on the strength of Saunders's examination. Recently, the specimen came to light in the Castle Museum, Norwich, Norfolk. After seeing slides of the bird, I became suspicious of the identification and arranged for the specimen to be examined by Derek Goodwin at the British Museum. He came

Fig. 3. Outer tail feathers of races of Stonechats Saxicola torquata: (a) maura, (b) indica, (c) variegata, (d) rubicolajstejnegerij przewalskii (after Burton and Nisbet 1956) 244 Eastern Stonechats Table 2. Records of eastern Stonechats Saxicola torquata in western Europe, 1883- 1976 Races: 'group 2' signifies maura or stejnegeri; brackets are used when race is probable but not certain. Recording categories: F = field observation, T = trapped, S = specimen. Two records, both probably referring to group 2 birds, were insufficiently detailed for acceptance by the Rarities Committee and are omitted from the table, but deserve mention: Cley, Norfolk, 10th December 1972 to early January 1973 (seen only at long range) and Fair Isle, Shetland, 5th October 1973 (note occurrence in the Netherlands next day) Recording Year Date Locality Age/sex Race category

1883 11 Oct Heligoland, Imm./? group 2 S 1913 10 Oct Isle of May, Fife 9 maura S 1946 9 Sep Nolso, Faeroes ? maura S 1955 28 Sep Blavandshuk, Imm./? maura S i960 26 Oct Hartlepool, Durham Imm./? group 2 F 1961 13-21 Oct Fair Isle, Shetland Imm. group 2 T 1964 27 Sep Hesselo, Denmark Imm./? maura S 1964 1 Nov Fair Isle Imm./? group 2 F '965 5-6 Oct Fair Isle Imm./? group 2 F 1972 2 May Cley, Norfolk Ad. $ stejnegeri F 1973 6-7 Oct Texel, Netherlands Imm./? {maura) F r974 12-13 Oct Holy Island, Northumberland Imm./? (stejnegeri) F 1974 12-13 Oct Holy Island Imm./? (stejnegeri) F 1974 12 Oct Schiermonnikoog, Netherlands Ad. (J (stejnegeri) F 1974 12 Oct Schiermonnikoog ? (stejnegeri) F 1974 13 Oct Schiermonnikoog Imm./? (maura) F '974 16 Oct Out Skerries, Shetland Imm./? (maura) F 1974 19 Oct Utsira, Norway Imm./? (stejnegeri) T 1974 21 Oct Portland, Dorset Imm./? group 2 F '974 4 Nov Snettisham, Norfolk Imm./? group 2 F '974 7-15 Nov Tynemouth, Northumberland Imm./? group 2 F 1975 10-17 Oct Fair Isle Imm./? group 2 F 1975 18 Oct Holy Island Imm./? group 2 F 1975 24 Oct Portland Imm./? (maura) F 1976 27 Sep- Fair Isle Imm./? group 2 F 7 Oct

to the conclusion that it is probably an old male rubicola or hibernans; there are no grounds for supposing it to be maura: we recommend that the record be removed from the British and Irish list. There are now 25 accepted records of eastern Stonechats in western Europe, 16 of them in Britain. All those subspecifically identified have been referred to maura or stejnegeri, the former being more frequent. The spread of records, from the Faeroes to the Netherlands, is interesting and the increase since 1974 suggests that the pattern of occurrence is changing. As many of the records come from localities where even group 1 Stone­ chats are uncommon, and so subject to more than usual scrutiny, it seems likely that the increase is genuine and not wholly due to increasing awareness or improving ability of observers. Some eastern Stonechats, however, are undoubtedly still missed, particularly inland and in areas where the is common. Eastern Stonechats 245 Acknowledgements I wish to thank the following people who have greatly assisted with the preparation of this paper: Derek Goodwin, for providing facilities at the British Museum (Natural History), G.J. Oreel, for help with Dutch records, and the British Birds Rarities Commit­ tee, for making descriptions available. Thanks are also due to G. J. Barnes, R. A. Broad, P. E. Davis, R. H. Dennis, K. G. Dures, B. Galloway, J. G. Goldsmith, M. S. Hodgson, E. D. H. Johnson, B. Little, E. R. Meek, R. A. Richardson, G. Walbridge, C. S. Waller, A. Vittery and E. J. Wiseman.

Summary The races of Stonechat Saxicola torquata breeding in the eastern Palearctic differ from west European races by having an unmarked rump and uppertail-coverts, a pale wing panel, a supercilium and (males after their first autumn) jet black axillaries. At least 25 eastern Stonechats have been recorded in western Europe (16 in Britain), all but one dur­ ing September-November and more than half of them in the last three years. All were either S. t. maura (the most frequent) or S. t. stejnegeri.

References BAXTER, E. V., and RINTOUL, L. J. 1913. Two new Scottish birds. Scot. Nat. (1913): 273-274. BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION. 1971. The Status of Birds in Britain and Ireland. Oxford and Edinburgh. BURTON, P. J. K., and NISBET, I. C. T. 1956. Sibirisk Sortstrubet Bynefugl (Saxicola torquata maura (Pallas)) ved Blavandshuk. Dansk Orn. Foren. Tidsskr. 50: 231-233. DEMENTIEV, G. P., and GLADKOV, N. A. (eds.) 1968. Birds of the Soviet Union. Israel Program for Scientific Translations, Jerusalem. DYCK, J., JACOBSEN, J. R., KRAMSHOJ, E., and RABOL, J. 1970. Rapport fra sjaeld- enhedsudualget med oversigt over godkendte forkomster 1965-69. Dansk Orn. Foren. Tidsskr. 64: 126-151. DYMOND, J. N., and THE RARITIES COMMITTEE. 1976. Report on rare birds in in 1975. Brit. Birds 69: 321-368. ETCHECOPAR, R. D., and HUE, F. 1967. The Birds of North . London. GATKE, H. 1895. Heligoland as an Ornithological Observatory. Edinburgh. MEINERTZHAGEN, R. 1953. On the validity of S. t. hibernans. Bull. B.O.C. 73: 14-15. and WILLIAMSON, K. 1953. 'Check-list of the birds of Great Britain and Ireland' (1952): some comments. Ibis 95: 365-369. MOREAU, R. E. 1972. The Palaearctic-African Systems. London. OREEL, G. J., and MEETH, P. 1975. Waarneming van Saxicola torquata maura in Nederland. Limosa 49: 68-71. RIPLEY, S. D. 1964. Subfamily Turdinae, thrushes. In MAYR, E., and PAYNTER JR., R. A. (eds.) Check List of Birds of the World, vol. 10: pp. 13-227. Cambridge (Massa­ chusetts) . SAUNDERS, H. 1907. Additions to the list of British b'rds since 1899. Brit. Birds 1: 4-16. SMITH, F. R., and THE RARITIES COMMITTEE. 1975. Report on rare birds in Great Britain in 1974. Brit. Birds 68: 306-338. TICEHURST, C. B. 1938. On Saxicola maura and Saxicola indica. Ibis (1938): 338-341. VAURIE, C. 1959. The Birds of the Palearctic Fauna, vol. 1. London. Voous, K. H. i960. Atlas of European Birds. London. WARDLAW-RAMSAY, R. G. 1923. Birds of Europe and North Africa. London. WILLIAMSON, K., and PETERSEN A BOTNI, N. F. 1948. Notes on the ornithology of the Faroe Islands 1945-47. Dansk Orn. Foren. Tidsskr. 42: 201-215. WITHERBY, H. F., JOURDAIN, F. C. R., TICEHURST, N. F., and TUCKER, B. W. 1940. The Handbook of British Birds, vol. 2. London.

Iain S. Robertson, Old Lower Light, Portland, Dorset