Amur Falcon on Azores

[Brian S]

Just picked up on these photos posted as Red-footed Falcon at Criação Velha, Pico from 30 Nov 2011

http://www.birdingazores.com/bigpic.php?filename=fal_ves7.jpg&id=4112&spid=426

http://www.birdingazores.com/bigpic.php?filename=fal_ves5.jpg&id=4110&spid=426

http://www.birdingazores.com/bigpic.php?filename=fal_ves4.jpg&id=4109&spid=426

Brian S

[forktail]

Just picked up on these photos posted as Rd-footed Falcon at Criação Velha, Pico from 30 Nov 2011

http://www.birdingazores.com/bigpic.php?filename=fal_ves7.jpg&id=4112&spid=426

http://www.birdingazores.com/bigpic.php?filename=fal_ves5.jpg&id=4110&spid=426

http://www.birdingazores.com/bigpic.php?filename=fal_ves4.jpg&id=4109&spid=426

Brian S

Good spot. Nice bird.

F.

[ampelinus]

Just seen this on the other channel, nice bird & a hell of a surprise.


Neil.

[Brian S]

ad female or worn juvenile?

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/amur-falcon-falco-amurensis/sitting-ground

http://www.birdskorea.org/Images/images2010/11/Amur-Falcon_BH-2.jpg

http://www.mattbirder.co.uk/images/Amur-Falcon4.jpg?499

Brian S

[RichB]

Credit for this internet find should go to Vincent Legrand - who spotted these shots in the very early hours of this morning and, already with his view, asked my thoughts. I then put the news out on Netfugl and the other channel at 1am, attaching photos (which is presumably where Brian spotted the shots).

An amazing record, and even by Azorean standards, perhaps their best vagrant to date?

[RichB]

ad female or worn juvenile?

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/amur-falcon-falco-amurensis/sitting-ground

http://www.birdskorea.org/Images/images2010/11/Amur-Falcon_BH-2.jpg

http://www.mattbirder.co.uk/images/Amur-Falcon4.jpg?499

Brian S

Hi Brian
A debate that Vincent and I were having - I thought it might be a 2nd calendar year female? However, I can easily be convinced it's an advanced juvenile.

Here's a photo of a juvenile on 28th November (almost to the day the Azores bird is taken), and it looks much more retarded than the Azorean bird: -
http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/amur-falcon-falco-amurensis/amur-falcon

Looks more like this bird: -
http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=25001

[Brian S]

Credit for this internet find should go to Vincent Legrand - who spotted these shots in the very early hours of this morning and, already with his view, asked my thoughts. I then put the news out on Netfugl and the other channel at 1am, attaching photos (which is presumably where Brian spotted the shots).

An amazing record, and even by Azorean standards, perhaps their best vagrant to date?

Richard

Yep, credit where it is due.

Brian S

[macrourus]

This is a juvenile !!

Ehat a fantastic record

I do not check internet so much so woowwww I would have seen this stright away

A female by this time of the year would not have a perfect pale edge to wing and tail, tail abrring would be different, bare parts usually brighter and more orange (though in some winter bird become duller) , cleaner underbody and cleaner least marked underwing coverts, would show suspended or arrested moult (they do both) or in case of the odd one at least a growing P10 or P9 etc etc.

Juvenile are greatly variable, as are juv. vespertinus...
some juv being brigther and with more rusty tones and wider rusty fringing other being more bluish and greish and with narrower fringings, even not according to the abrasio but also when still fresh...so that in November they are vene more female-like

Woow again

compliments

Andrea

[LeeEvans]

A very intriguing record indeed, much akin to last year's juvenile Saker Falcon that made its way south down through Spain and North Africa.

Perhaps we will get another chance at this species in Britain after all following the Tophill Low debacle.

Juvenile Eastern Red-foots differ from their western counterparts in the much blacker barring on the underparts (especially flanks) and colder-toned upperparts. The crown is often dark grey (and the forehead more extensively white) and the facial malar stripe is more prominent. They are much more paler and greyer overall.

Essential References

Amur Falcons in Italy, Andrea Corso & Pete Dennis, Birding World 11: 259-260

Identification of Amur Falcon, Andrea Corso & Bill Clark, Birding World 11: 261-268

Amur Falcons in France, North Yorks and D & G, Mark Grantham, Birding World 18: 289

Separation of transitional second calendar-year Red-foot from Amur, Andrea Corso & Graham Catley, Dutch Birding 25: 153-158

Red-footed Falcon Identification, Dick Forsman, Alula 1/95: 8-13

[GMK]

But scarcely any more remarkable / intriguing than the record from St. Helena (mentioned in the BOU checklist to that island).

[LeeEvans]

Guy

Thanks for your input but strangely enough, I don't have that particular publication in my library. Can you kindly remind me of the actual record.

[GMK]

I would gladly do so, but for the fact I'm currently in South America for an extended period. Needless to say, the BOU checklist to St. Helena is not part of my kit here. Sorry. The record always stuck in my mind as being quite remarkable, although less so than it might be otherwise considered, of course, given that Amur Falcons regularly perform relatively long over-water migrations.

[Alex Lees]

I would gladly do so, but for the fact I'm currently in South America for an extended period. Needless to say, the BOU checklist to St. Helena is not part of my kit here. Sorry. The record always stuck in my mind as being quite remarkable, although less so than it might be otherwise considered, of course, given that Amur Falcons regularly perform relatively long over-water migrations.

It is a longer overwater crossing to St Helena (by about 200km) but considerably closer to the species regular (wintering) range in Southern Africa, so maybe the Azores record is marginally crazier! The Eleonora's on Amsterdam Island is even more remarkable....