G'day Alan,
P&K describe the breastband on nonbreeding white wagtails as a 'thin U-shaped
black breastband'. The behaviour of the two species is apparently similar -
'Walks with head bobbing back and forward, tail jerking. Flight strongly
undulating ...'.
Regards, Laurie.
Alan Gillanders wrote:
>
> Laurie,
>
> Thanks, I will chase up that reference.
>
> My Peterson 'Birds of Europe' shows the juvenile of M. alba and the winter
> plumage. On the bird in question the front of the face was white as was the
> throat but below the eye was a dark smudge from the ear coverts forward to
> below the eye and maybe a touch in front of the eye but not extending to the
> gape. this looks more like M. alba but the breast band Was seen clearly as a
> thin band and not patch which looks more like M. lugens.
>
> Perhaps some one out there has more information about the plumages between
> juvenile and non-breeding adult; and would be prepared to share this
> knowledge.
>
> Regards,
> Alan
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