Siberian Stonechat (variegatus)

Saxicola torquata variegata (S.G.Gmelin, 1774)

		male
2015-04-12 Aktau	© Anna Yasko

Description

At males the white color on the tail feathers is widely dispersed. Birds of western population of this race have tail feathers with white color from the basis to about middle of the length or a little less. Birds of east population have black color only on distal half of the central pair of tail feathers and on tips of the other ones. Upper tail coverts are white. Abdomen is lighter than at other races. The largest dispersal of the white color on tail feathers is peculiar to population of northern coast of Caspian Sea and Volga and Ural deltas.

Distribution

Breeds and occurs on migration on northern coast of Caspian Sea.

References

В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург, Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. А.Ф.Ковшарь "Певчие птицы". Алма-Ата, "Кайнар", 1983.