SMEWS IN GREATER MANCHESTER 2006

by Ian McKerchar

Compare the above images of ‘redhead’ Smews taken in Greater Manchester during February 2006. The top image by Pete Hines was taken at Chorlton Water Park and the bottom by Adrian Dancy on the River Irwell by The Cliffe.

Perhaps something we already knew or more likely suspected, but I believe these images could prove there to be two birds involved. Compare:

1/. The colouration of the lores of the two birds. Very dark blackish/brown in the top bird and paler brown, lacking the contrast with the rest of the crown (with some slightly paler areas at the base of the bill, prominent on further images of the same bird) on the one below.

2/. The shape of the demarcation line between the brown and white of the head. On the upper bird the line runs under the lores, ear coverts and down the side of the neck very smoothly, whereas the lower bird has a prominent ‘bulge’ under the ear coverts.

3/.  The demarcation between the breast and throat. On the upper bird the demarcation line is obvious and forms a darker greyish line. On the lower bird there is no such well-defined demarcation or darker ‘line’. The slightly more stretched neck in the image of the lower bird could possibly cause any such ‘line’ present to appear less obvious and the strongly sunlit breast in this image has ‘burned out’ any colouration, so it is perhaps best to use this comparison carefully.

There also appears to be slight differences in the distribution of colour on the sides of the breast and depth of colouration of brown on the crown but these features could also be affected by the birds posture or lighting differences of the two images, whereas comparisons 1 and 2 atleast would be consistent features that would not be expected to alter with posture or moult, given the very short time difference between the two images being taken.

I would welcome any further opinions or comments,

Ian McKerchar, March 2006

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