Rødstjert ssp. samamisicus

Putative Ehrenberg’s Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus samamisicus), 12.3.2010, Mitzpe Ramon, Israel

From the BBRC files: the identification of male Ehrenberg's Redstart with comments on British claims

Adult male samamisicus should be separable from adult male phoenicurus, even individuals that show conspicuous pale fringes to the tertials and inner secondaries. In samamisicus the white edges extend from the tertials and secondaries on to the primaries and form an eye-catching wing panel that contrasts with a blacker mantle and scapulars. The ear coverts also have more extensive black than phoenicurus.

First-winter male samamisicus is far more difficult to separate as it matches adult male phoenicurus closely. Attention to correct ageing is important. Adult phoenicurus showing a white wing panel on the tertials and inner secondaries may be identifiable from first-winter samamisicus only by loral colour: black in phoenicurus and fringed paler in samamisicus.

When claiming samamisicus in Europe one has to consider Black Redstart and Common Redstart hybrids or just strange individuals like this, this, this, this, this, this or this.