From the Rarities Committee’s files The identification of male ‘Ehrenberg’s Redstart’, with comments on British claims Brian J. Small Brian J. Small ABSTRACT A BBRC review of British claims of ‘Ehrenberg’s Redstart’ Phoenicurus phoenicurus samamisicus found that the degree of variation within both samamisicus and the nominate form of Common Redstart P. phoenicurus was poorly understood.The review established the degree of overlap between males of these taxa and the findings are presented here.The prominent and extensive white wing-panel is unique to adult samamisicus and is not shared with either first-winter samamisicus or adult phoenicurus.The plumage of first-winter samamisicus appears more advanced than that of first-winter phoenicurus, and can closely match the appearance of adult phoenicurus in autumn.Those adult phoenicurus which show a white wing-panel on the tertials and inner secondaries may be safely separable from first-winter samamisicus only by loral colour (solidly black in the former, fringed paler in the latter) and the absence of moult contrast in the greater coverts. This paper will form the basis for reviewing past claims and assessing current ones. 84 © British Birds 102 • February 2009 • 84–97 Identification of Ehrenberg’s Redstart ommon Redstart Phoenicurus phoeni- is fraught with danger, so we have tried to test curus of the form samamisicus, also them in the field whenever possible. The criteria Cknown as ‘Ehrenberg’s Redstart’ (and have also been assessed extensively against pho- referred to hereafter simply as samamisicus), tographs of samamisicus on the breeding breeds in the mountains of central Turkey and grounds and on migration, and discussed with the Caucasus region, and has been reported other observers with experience of this form. from western Europe on several occasions. It is cur- rently on the British List on the basis of two long-standing records, although two other, previously accepted, records were recently reviewed and found to be inadequately doc- umented, and no longer form part of the national record (see below). In addition, BBRC has received several claims in recent years that are still under review. As part of the assessment process, it became apparent that our lack of understanding of the appearance of samamisicus was preventing accurate record assessment. With a view to establishing criteria by which samamisicus could be David Pearson separated from the nominate form (hereafter referred to as phoenicurus), BBRC carried out a detailed investigation to establish whether samamisicus is diagnosable, and also to what extent the appearance of phoenicurus can vary and overlap with samamisicus. The samamisicus review has been a lengthy process, in part due to the Committee feeling that published mater- ial was not sufficiently detailed to allow proper assessment of the various sub- missions. BBRC members David Pearson made several visits to the 55 & 56. First-winter male Ehrenberg’s Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus Natural History Museum, samamisicus, Azerbaijan, 25th August 2008. Aged as first-winter by the extent of pale fringing across the lores and the clear moult contrast in the greater Tring, to examine specimens, coverts. All median and six inner greater coverts have been replaced, the which resulted in a number of new feathers being quite grey with a tawny tip, contrasting markedly with the potential criteria being estab- narrow, rich buff fringes of the retained juvenile greater coverts. Such a large lished. It may be argued that number of new greater coverts would be unusual in first-winter phoenicurus. The narrow white (or off-white) edges to the two outermost tertials and applying criteria from work the three inner secondaries clearly flare at the base of each feather (on the done in a museum setting to open wing).This bird is quite fresh and still retains the broad, warm-brown the assessment of field claims fringes to the upperparts although the grey bases are showing in places. British Birds 102 • February 2009 • 84–97 85 Identification of Ehrenberg’s Redstart Initial examinations of specimens at least arable based on current knowledge. Rather than partly supported an earlier BBRC statement delay assessment of all pending claims, which (Brit. Birds 88: 379) that female samamisicus is all involve birds reported in autumn, BBRC has extremely similar to female phoenicurus in opted to assess only records of males, of which appearance, and that the two are not safely sep- there are a number of claims in circulation, in addition to the two cur- rently accepted records. Although we remain of the opinion that it is unsafe to separate females of the two forms in the field, we now consider that adult males have well-defined charac- ters and are easily distin- guished, and that some first-winter males are iden- tifiable with care. In autumn 2008, several unconfirmed reports of possible or probable male samamisicus were received via the various bird infor- mation services, although Mike Lawrence Mike none has yet been sub- 57. First-winter male Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus phoenicurus, mitted to BBRC. We had Norfolk, 16th September 2008. Readily aged as a first-winter by the extensive intended to delay this paper pale fringes to the black fore-crown, loral, chin and throat feathering, and until decisions had been the contrast between the single innermost adult-type greater covert and the remaining buff-tipped juvenile coverts. Compared with those of the first- made on the outstanding winter male samamisicus in plates 55 & 56, the fringes to the tertials and inner claims, so that an analysis secondaries are distinctly paler, appearing creamy-white. Note, however, that of all British reports could on nominate phoenicurus these fringes are broadest towards the feather tips be included, but with the and become narrower and less distinct towards the feather bases, whereas on samamisicus there is a distinct whitish blob at the base of the longest tertial and interest that the 2008 birds two inner secondaries where the fringe widens and becomes more conspicuous. have generated, it seems 58. First-winter male Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus phoenicurus, Terschelling,the Netherlands, 29th September 2004.This first-winter male shows relatively warm and brown distal fringes to the tertials and secondaries, which match those of the samamisicus in plates 55 & 56 but, as those of the male phoenicurus in plate 57, these fringes become narrower and slightly less contrasting towards the feather bases. Also compare the distinctly greyish appearance to the median and lesser coverts at the bend of the wing of the first-winter samamisicus in plates 55 & 56 with those of this bird. It is possible that samamisicus begins its post- juvenile moult earlier than phoenicurus, and that first-year male samamisicus appears more advanced in autumn for this reason.The brown upperparts are typical of phoenicurus, lacking the grey hues of late August samamisicus – the apparent cold tone to the upperparts of the male in plate 57 is an artefact of light. Arie Ouwerkerk 86 British Birds 102 • February 2009 • 84–97 Identification of Ehrenberg’s Redstart pertinent to publish our findings now. Deci- wings of the majority of first-winter males may sions on the outstanding claims will appear in a be up to three months older than those of future BBRC annual report. We are confident adults and appear less pristine. that we now have a suite of robust criteria Early in the review process, it appeared that which will enable us to analyse all submissions samamisicus in their first autumn had a slightly fairly, and come to conclusions that will be more extensive moult of the greater coverts open to scrutiny and which will represent a than phoenicurus, and perhaps also moulted all realistic assessment based upon the submitted the median and lesser coverts. From the limited evidence. number of specimens of this age available, it would be inappropriate to draw too many con- Ageing males clusions at this point. However, photographs of Adult Common Redstarts have a complete post- young male samamisicus from Azerbaijan breeding moult prior to autumn migration, (plates 55 & 56) also seem to support this. It is while first-winters have a partial post-juvenile also possible that colour contrasts in the new moult that includes replacement of body coverts of samamisicus make the moult appear feathers and a variable number of greater and more extensive; this is an area that requires median coverts. Most frequently, all the median further study. coverts and two or three inner greater coverts are replaced but the first-generation remiges, Identification rectrices and tertials are retained until the fol- Fundamental to the process of identifying lowing summer. Occasionally, some or all of the samamisicus is the need to establish the correct tertials may be moulted and, very rarely, an age of the bird. In the case of autumn males, the inner secondary may also be replaced (see plate first step is to determine the extent and colour 61). Adult males thus appear very fresh in early of pale feather tips obscuring the black facial autumn, while the tertials, greater coverts and mask (forehead, lores, chin, throat and sides to Mike Pope Mike 59. First-winter male Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus, probably samamisicus, Kuwait, 29th August 2008. This first-winter redstart (note the moult contrast in the greater coverts) may well be samamisicus, based upon the relatively grey upperparts, extent of black on the ear-coverts and throat and a fairly prominent whitish wing-panel. However, close examination of the exact pattern of white on the edges of the tertials raises a little doubt: the white seems to begin to ‘bleed’ from the edge at the base of the longest tertial, but the extent is negligible. As the photograph was taken in Kuwait, there is a strong likelihood that the bird is samamisicus but the amount of white may not be sufficient for a positive identification of such an individual in Europe away from the breeding range.