Caspian Stonechat

Saxicola maurus hemprichii Ehrenberg, 1833 (0, 8)

Photo © Kris Webb -

Sub-species

STATUS

Eastern Ukraine and northern Azerbaijan to north-west, northern shores of Caspian Sea.

OVERVIEW

This sub-species of Siberian Stonechat, originally S. m. variegatus, has arrived four times in spring and four in autumn, mainly in the south-west, but twice on the English east coast and three times in the northern isles.

Males are easily identified in the field by their extensive white in the tail, but females lack this feature.

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BBRC RECORDS

1). 1985 Cornwall Porthgwarra, male, 1st to 4th October, photo, S. m. hemprichii.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 79: 569; Birding World 2 (3): 78, photo; BOURC (1991), Ibis 133: 222; BOURC (1993), Ibis 135: 496).

2). 1993 Suffolk Landguard, first-winter male, 11th September, S. m. hemprichii.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 89: 515; S. Ling, Suffolk Birds 1995: 166-168).

3). 2006 Shetland Virkie, Mainland, male, 7th May, photo, S. m. hemprichii.

(Birding World 19 (5): 191, photos; P. A. Fraser and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 100: 731, plates 351 & 352; R. Riddington & P. V. Harvey, Shetland Bird Report 2006: 114-115, photo; Forrester & Andrews et al., 2007: photo; R. Riddington & P. V. Harvey, Birding Scotland 9 (3): 112-115, plates 99-103).

4). 2013 Isles of Scilly St Warna's Cove, St Agnes, first-winter male, 17th to 26th November, photo, S. m. hemprichii.

(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 107: 636, plate 327; British Birds 112: plate 296).

5). 2014 Fair Isle Meadow Burn area, male, 27th April to 31st May, photo, S. m. hemprichii.

(D. Parnaby, Scottish Birds 34: 270-273, plates 248-255; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 108: 619, plate 366; British Birds 112: plate 280).

6). 2016 Hampshire Titchfield Haven, 3CY+ male, 10th to 11th May, photo, S. m. hemprichii.

(British Birds 110: plate 276; C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 110: 614, plate 340; Hampshire Bird Report 2016: photo).

7). 2016 Isles of Scilly Borough Farm, St Mary's, 1CY, male, 22nd October, photo, S. m. hemprichii.

(C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 110: 614).

8). 2021 Shetland Tresta, Fetlar, 2CY, male, 7th June, photo.

(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 115: 600).

P). 2023 Cleveland Hunley Hall Golf Course, Brotton, male, 27th to 28th October, photo.

(British Birds 116: plate 419).