I saw an unusual bird on the canal bank near Lancaster (Lancashire) last week. It had striking, wide black and white stripes along its head (could be yellow and white). The only description that fits is a Pallas's Warbler. Could this be possible?
Hi,
Well I try not to rule anything out when birding but.....
really unlikely to be a Pallas's- wrong time of year, wrong habitat, Pallas's is really a green and buffy bird and it's also about the size of a goldcrest :)
S
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Could it have been a fire or goldcrest?
Millie & Fly the Border Collies
Thanks KatTai. It could have been a female firecrest. Not a goldcrest.
Thanks, it was a bit bigger than a goldcrest and not really green. More brownish wings and very distinct wide stripes on its head. KatTai suggests a Firecrest. Is this more likely?
Firecrest is same size as goldcrest with white eyebrows and whitish underparts. Firecrest is more bronzey green than Goldcrest.
Since they all look very similar, especially if it is flitting around. Have a look at this artwork that shows three likely species:
http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/website/content/view/1559/102/
Hi Pipit
Interesting sighting that you have there.
I have seen a Firecrest (once) myself and they are very distinctive with the colouration over the head and eye area. Once you have seen the colouration you never forget it.
One thing that Dave and I noted was the BRILLIANT highlight orange colouration of the plume on the birds head. The bird that we where lucky to see continaully flashed the plume and it made the orange colour very distinctive even amongst a lot of tree foliage.
I think what you saw was a Firecrest.
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Unknown said: I saw an unusual bird on the canal bank near Lancaster (Lancashire) last week. It had striking, wide black and white stripes along its head (could be yellow and white). The only description that fits is a Pallas's Warbler. Could this be possible?
Hi pipit welcome to the forum,
Pallas's Warblers have been recorded in this country, there has been 78 confirmed sightings the most recent on the 23/11/2009 in Northants.(They are commonest on the east coast in October/November), these tiny birds will have travelled more than 3,000 miles from their breeding grounds in the Far East.
They are however a rare visitor from Asia and are most likely to be found in bushy coastal areas, especially sycamore trees.
It does look like a warbler but is scarcely bigger than a Goldcrest and has a dazzling array of yellow stripes in its plumage - two in each wing and no less than three through its head.
On top of all that it keeps hovering in front of you like a humming bird, showing off a neat, square yellow rump.
The only species which comes close to matching this suite of pale markings is the Yellow-browed Warbler but this isn’t so dainty and lacks both the yellow rump and the pale central crown stripe.
The below link shows recent sightings
http://www.birdguides.com/species/species.asp?sp=136300
The Firecrest is another bird that is as rare as hens teeth in certain parts of the country, with only 150 males recorded in Britain during the summer. The numbers of males were 80 to 250 in 1988-91.
They are as tiny as a Goldcrest but they have a dramatic black-edged white stripe over the eye giving the face more of a glowering expression. They also have gorgeous bronze-coloured patches on the shoulders.
http://www.birdguides.com/species/species.asp?sp=136359
This link shows the records from the breeding atlases
http://blx1.bto.org/atlases/FC-atlas.html
I personally can't suggest an answer for the bird you saw without futher information. But I hope the information I have given will give you an insight to some of our rarer visitors.
Regards Buzzard
Nature Is Amazing - Let Us Keep It That Way
Thank you so much for your brilliant answers.
I'm plumping for it being a female Firecrest as its crown stripe was more yellow than bright orange. It was in bushes by the canal with a variety of finches but it was no finch! It had a much longer, thinner beak and those striking stripes along its head- like a badger's!! I only saw it from above so mostly noticed its head.
On the same afternoon I saw my first Yellowhammer so it was a great day for spotting birds.
Thanks
Pipit