Abstract
In western Europe, the European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola, occurs in two subspecies; rubicola, with a large distribution in Europe, and hibernans, mainly distributed on the British Isles. A small population of presumed hibernans birds breed in Norway. However, difficulties in distinguishing hibernans from rubicola at an individual level has led to speculation regarding the origin of the Norwegian birds. There are no clear genetic differences between the subspecies and their plumage appearance can be considered to overlap within parts of the range. To investigate this, I studied the plumage variation among males during the breeding season in the Scandinavian populations of European Stonechats in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The study is based on photos of 404 males during the period March–May. The presence or absence of six typical hibernans characteristics were registered for each individual. The results show that males with both hibernans and rubicola characteristics occur during the spring in the Scandinavian populations. There was a clear over-representation of males with hibernans characteristics in Norway as compared to Sweden, and to a lower degree also to Denmark. If the expansion of rubicola progresses in Scandinavia, one could expect a larger proportion of rubicola-like males in the Norwegian population.
Highlights
ANDERSSON (2019) | DR ÄK T VARIATION HOS SK ANDINAVISK A SVARTHAK ADE BUSKSK VÄT TOR | ORNIS SVECICA 29: 76–83
The results show that males with both hibernans and rubicola characteristics occur during the spring in the Scandinavian populations
European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola occurs with two subspecies in Western Europe: rubicola found in large parts of the continental Europe, and hibernans mainly confined to the British Isles, especially Ireland and Scotland
Summary
IN WESTERN EUROPE, the European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola, occurs in two subspecies; rubicola, with a large distribution in Europe, and hibernans, mainly distributed on the British Isles. Shirihai & Svensson (2018) anger att de utgörs av rubicola, men uppgiften har senare reviderats till hibernans Urquhart (2002) anser att det rör sig om hibernans och att spridningen under 1970-talet till sydvästra Norges kustområden har skett från Orkney- och Shetlandsöarna. Hannar av svarthakad buskskvätta i Norge har en påfallande likhet med skotska hibernans som generellt är mörkare än rubicola. Ett fynd som möjligen styrker att den norska populationen härrör från Brittiska öarna gjordes 26 mars 2016, då en färgringmärkt hona blev fotograferad och avläst vid Søgne, Vest-Agder, i södra Norge. Norska fåglar är i likhet med brittiska i stor utsträckning stannfåglar, till skillnad från svarthakade busk skvättor i Sverige och Danmark, där praktiskt taget alla flyttar. Hannar med typiska hibernans-karaktärer har under våren bland annat relativt breda, mörkt rödbruna bräm på hjäss-, mantel- och ryggfjädrar. Förutom att spegla spridningen av olika dräktutseenden kan detta ge indikationer på hibernans respektive rubicolas status i dessa områden
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