12/10/2021

One of the highlights of Migweek was this Belgian ringed redwing, ring number 10X22814, FBO’s first foreign controlled redwing.

The bird is subspecies iliacus and might be considered unusual as Prato, Prato and Chittenden (2011) found most redwings arriving on the east coast in autumn come from Finland or Russia. The Icelandic subspecies coburni is rarely encountered as they winter in Ireland and north-west Scotland.

The bird is an adult, age code 4. Note the broad tertials, the broad and square-ended secondaries and the minimal pale tipping to the greater coverts and tertials.

Also photographed is a juvenile bird , age code 3 for comparison. The bird has retained six juvenile greater coverts with prominent pale tips to the outer webs of the feathers which curve up to the vane of the feathers and narrow, pointed tail feathers.