Siberian Accentors on the move - Taigarautiaiset vyöryvät yli Suomen UPDATE 8.11. - 71 birds!!!

Taigarautiaisten syysesiintyminen Suomessa ja Euroopassa on ennennäkemätön. Lajista on tehty ensihavainnot Iso-Britanniassa, Saksassa, Virossa, Latviassa ja Hollannissa. Suomesta on tähän mennessä ilmoitettu havainnot peräti 71 yksilöstä! Lisää Tringan tiedotteessa täällä sekä Juha Lehtisen jutussa Aamulehdessä. Kuluvan syksyn havainnot Dutch Birdingin kartalla täällä ja koko artikkeli täällä.

On October 21st I visited Ari Rantamäki's CES & Dunnock ringing site in Pori. And what a visit it was: A really nice ringing session with lots of Redpolls (even five Arctics), and an absolutely stonking SIBERIAN ACCENTOR!!! Thank you very much Ari!

As many birders have pointed out, there seems to be variation in head patterns and overall coloration. Some birds are strikingly black and sulphur-yellow on head, while the others are duller, with browner cap contrasting to dark or blackish lateral crown stripes. This is possibly sexual dimorphism, with males being more distinctive in head pattern, while females are more subdued. Of course there is individual variation regardless of sex involved too, and age may be one factor as well. Wieland Heim from Amur Birding kindly commented sexing of Siberian Accentors as the following: "Extreme birds might be sexed, but most of them are intergrades why we did not sex them so far. But in general, it can be assumed that longer-winged birds with black crown feathers are males, while females have shorter wings and more brown crown feathers." These individual differences in supercilium, shape and extent of yellow spots on ear-coverts and coloration of cap can be used as "fingerprints" in separating of different individuals from pictures. Some loose feathers were also collected during processing from both birds, so it is possible to make DNA test for sexing these birds later.

The bird was once again identified as 1cy, based on narrow, pointed and loosely structured, worn tail feathers and juvenile type greater coverts. Very interesting text on ageing of Siberian Accentors from Amur Birding blog can be found here.

Keith, Ari and Raija with Siberian Accentor





One Dunnock was caught too
17.10.2016
No less than eight new Siberian Accentors were found today in Finland, including four trapped and ringed birds. This makes the autumn total to insane 22 birds (UPDATE 8.11. now 71 birds!) and more are to come! :)

18.10.2016

Ari Rantamäki trapped and ringed the one below, together with just a single Dunnock, in Pori, Toukari, on 18.10.2016. The bird was seen also by Asko Eriksson, the man who found the Finnish first Siberian Accentor in Luvia, Säppi, on 7.10.1975. Thank you very much Ari for lending these pics!

Siberian Accentor, Pori, old landfill, 18th Oct 2016 © Ari Rantamäki
Siberian Accentor, Pori, old landfill, 18th Oct 2016 © Ari Rantamäki
Siberian Accentor, Pori, old landfill, 18th Oct 2016 © Ari Rantamäki
Ari, who is a very experienced ringer, identified this bird as a 1cy bird. Ageing was based on pointed, very worn and somewhat loose-structured tailfeathers (contra Svensson 1994). Also greater coverts seem to be juvenile by coloration and shape.

These two confiding birds were staying in a very restricted area in Helsinki, Viikki, and allowed me to take some record shots late in the evening:



This individual (above) seems to have paler crown with more contrasting dark lateral crown stripes, wider yellow patch on ear-coverts, richer chestnut streaking on upperparts and on breast-sides.



And this one has more contrasting black-and-yellow head markings, with smaller yellow patch on ear-coverts and dark feather tips on breast. They are absolutely amazing birds!

Records of Siberian Accentors in Finland in autumn 2016 from various sources (Tarsiger.com, Lintutiedotus, www.tiira.fi):

4.10.2016
Savitaipale 1
9.10.2016
Naantali 1
11.10.2016
Hammarland 1
12.10.2016
Hanko 1
12.10.2016
Eckerö 1
13.10.2016
Lohja 1
14.10.2016
Eurajoki 1
15.10.2016
Helsinki 1
16.10.2016
Helsinki 1
16.10.2016
Hanko 2
16.10.2016
Vantaa 1
16.10.2016
Inkoo 2
17.10.2016
Hanko 2
17.10.2016
Kristiinankaupunki 1
17.10.2016
Pori 2
17.10.2016
Raasepori 1
17.10.2016
Helsinki 1
17.10.2016
Hattula 1
17.10.2016
Parainen 1
18.10.2016
Pori 1
18.10.2016
Luvia 1
18.10.2016
Helsinki 1
18.10.2016
Parainen 1
18.10.2016
Pohja 1
18.10.2016
Sysmä 1
18.10.2016
Tampere 1
20.10.2016
Hanko 1
20.10.2016
Kirkkonummi 1
20.10.2016
Pori 1
20.10.2016
Luvia 1
20.10.2016
Kemiö 2
21.10.2016
Pori 1
22.10.2016
Kerava 1
22.10.2016
Naantali 1
22.10.2016
Espoo 1
23.10.2016
Helsinki 3
23.10.2016
Kangasala 1
23.10.2016
Hanko 2
23.10.2016
Inkoo 1
24.10.2016
Pori 1
24.10.2016
Kangasala 1
26.10.2016
Helsinki 1
27.10.2016
Mustasaari 1
28.10.2016
Nurmijärvi 1
29.10.2016
Pori 1
29.10.2016
Helsinki 1
29.10.2016
Siuntio 1
29.10.2016
Raahe 1
29.10.2016
Sipoo 1
31.10.2016
Tampere 1
31.10.2016
Porvoo 1
1.11.2016
Espoo 1
1.11.2016
Porvoo 1
1.11.2016
Helsinki 1
3.11.2016
Hanko 1
4.11.2016
Helsinki 1
4.11.2016
Turku 5
6.11.2016
Pori 1
7.11.2016
Lappeenranta1






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