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Stejneger’s Stonechat – breeding males and females

on 6th December 2019

“I have been trying to make sense of the breeding adults we saw while in Hokkaido. Clement (2015) provides extensive descriptions of ‘Common’ Stonechats and the subspecies, including Stejneger’s Stonechat. Opaev & colleagues (2018) say ‘S. stejnegeri is a cryptic species as it cannot be distinguished by morphometrics and by worn spring plumage from S. maurus, but differs noticeably by male song.’

“The adult breeding males are unmistakable with a very dark head and neck (a blotchy supercilium), dark upperparts and varying degrees of orange on the breast (especially bright on the upper breast). Two examples are shown above and below.

“The adult breeding females are more variable. They have paler upper parts (more brown cf males), a clear supercilium, some orange on the upper breast (not as strong as males) and the expectation is that the throat is lighter. Most of the birds we see when on migration are like this (paler) but we saw some darker females in Hokkaido.

Images above and below are of two adult breeding females (assumed from nest feeding behaviour and presence of a feeding male companion). The bird above was the companion of the bird above this image (we saw this pair at least 3 different times at the entrance to a forest and they were feeding young).

“Some would say that these are breeding first/second year males but there was already a mature adult male in attendance. Clement (2015) does not mention any evidence of male nest helpers. Handbook of the Birds of the World (2019) states ‘Male very occasionally pairs with two females‘.

“I would appreciate opinions.”

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
5-10th June 2019

Location: East Hokkaido, Japan

References:
1.
Peter Clement, Chris Rose, Robins and Chats, Helm Identification Guides 2015
2. Mark Brazil. Birds of Japan. Helm Field Guides 2018
3. Collar, N. (2019). Common Stonechat (Saxicola torquatus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions
4. Alexey Opaev, Yaroslav Red’kin, Egor Kalinin & Maria Golovina. Species limits in Northern Eurasian taxa of the common stonechats, Saxicola torquatus complex (Aves: Passeriformes, Muscicapidae). Vertebrate Zoology. 2018, 68 (3): 199 – 211.
5. Ewan Urquhart & Adam Bowley. Stonechats. Helm Identification Guides 2002.

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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