Calandra Lark (Melanocorypha calandra)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Melanocorypha ("black lark") calandra (species specific name)

                                            Calandra Lark (subspecies M. c. calandra) at Laguna del Longar, Spain - April 2016

Featured Subspecies: Melanocorypha calandra calandra

Weight: 44-73g  /  Length: 18-20cm  /  Wingspan: 38-44cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A large, powerfully built lark with a distinctive black "neckerchief" like mark, the Calandra lark is found around much of the rim of the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and into Central Asia, after which it is replaced by its closest relative, the Bimaculated Lark.  A bird of farmland and steppe, it feeds on seeds and insects.  It has a comparatively large population, but isn't the commonest lark species within its range.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
Genus: Melanocorphya
Subspecies: M. c. calandra, M. c. hebraica, M. c. gaza, M. c. psammochroa

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Calandria común ("Common Calander")

Scarce and Local Resident

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Abundant at Laguna del Longar (dozens of Summer plumage birds)

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Rock Sparrow (Petronia petronia)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Petronia (species specific name) petronia (species specific name)

Adult Rock Sparrow (with female House Sparrow) (subspecies P. p. petronia) on Madrid Farmland, Spain - June 2015

Featured Subspecies: Petronia petronia petronia

Weight: 26-39g  /  Length: 15-17cm  /  Wingspan: 16-17cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern  

A bird with similar proportions to the house sparrow (see the female house sparrow to the right) this species has a more dappled/shabby experience than other species.  It also has a small difficult to see yellow throat patch which I didn't get to see from the angle it was perched in.  The rock sparrow is generally a bird of rocky dry habitat across its range which spreads all along southern Europe and Asia.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passeridae
Genus: Petronia
Subspecies: P. p. petronia, P. p. barbara, P. p. puteicola, P. p. exigua, P. p. kirhizica, P. p.  intermedia, P. p. brevirostris

 - Sighting Locations -
SPAIN - Spanish - Gorrión chillón ("Noisy Sparrow")
Scarce Resident

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Single individual with House Sparrow flock on Farmland near Madrid

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Eurasian Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris)

OTHER NAMES: Crag Martin

Latin Etymology: Ptyonoprogne ("fan swallow") rupestris ("rock dwelling/montane")

Adult Eurasian Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupetris) on the nest at Patones, Spain - June 2015

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 23g  /  Length: 14-15cm  /  Wingspan: 32-34cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern  

The Crag Martin is the most limited distribution of all the Martins found in Europe and the most specialized in habitat - only found on rock faces in Mediterranean countries.  Compared to the other two species it it browner  and without the clean white paneling that Sand and House Martins have.  Like the House Martin, they construct mud and spit nests on sheltered vertical faces,  Unlike the other two though, the European population is resident, staying in it's Southern European range throughout the year.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Hirundinidae
Genus: Ptyonoprogne
Subspecies: None - monotypic

- Sighting Locations -

ITALY - Italian - Rondine montana ("mountain swallow")

A scarce resident

 - SICILY 2018 TRIP -  A few at Aci Castello.

SPAIN - Spanish - Avión roquero ("Rock Martin")
Locally common resident.

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Common at Patones - a number of individuals seen, including some visibly nesting.

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Common at Monfrague National Park - individuals seen throughout.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Black Scoter (Melanitta americana)

OTHER NAMES: American Scoter

Latin Etymology: Melanitta ("black duck") americana ("American")

Thee adult male Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) at Shiranuka Harbour, Hokkaido, Japan - December 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 980-1100g  /  Length: 49cm  /  Wingspan: 71cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

The Black Scoter was until recently considered as part of the Common Scoter, but has subsequently been split off into a full species.  The Black and Common are apparently differentiated primarily by their distinct vocalisations.  I first got brief views of this species from the train between Kushiro and Akkeshi but was unable to photograph it due to the movement of the train, but later found a small flock at the mouth of Shiranuka harbour.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Melanitta
Subspecies: None - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - クロガモ /  Kuro-gamo ("Black Wildduck")

Locally common Winter migrant in harbours on Hokkaido

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: One seen on the sea at Akkeshi, a small flock in the harbour at Shiranuka

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") glaucescens ("blueish-grey")

Adult Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) with Four Slaty-backed Gull at Akkeshi, Japan - December 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A

Weight: 750-1600g  /  Length: 50-68cm  /  Wingspan: 120-150cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Glaucous-winged Gull is another Herring-Gull sized species, in this instance the clear defining feature is that it's wing-tip feathers are patterned with grey rather than with black (as in Herring, Vega, Lesser Black Backed etc) or being pure white (as in Glaucous Gulls and Iceland Gulls).   It is another North Pacific species, breeding from the Bering Sea to Oregon, but spreading as far as Mexico and Japan to Winter.  It didn't seem especially numerous on my visit, while I don't claim to have closely examined all the large gulls I saw (of which there were many) it was definitely Slaty-backed which dominated in Hokkaido.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
Subspecies: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - ワシカモメ  /  Washi kamome  ("Eagle gull")

Widespread Winter Migrant to Northern Japan

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Single adult seen at Akkeshi associating with the more common Slaty-backed Gulls

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") schistisagus ("slate cloak")

Adult Winter Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus) in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Spain - December 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A

Weight: 1-1.7kg  /  Length: 55-68.5cm  /  Wingspan: 132-160cm

ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Slaty-backed Gull is a fairly standard sort of Larus gull visually - pink legs like a Herring Gull and a dark back like a Lesser Black-backed.  What I found fairly striking about the individuals that I got a close look at was how the darkened area around the eye and the fairly stocky build gave it a slight air of aggression that I'd normally associate with something like a Glaucous gull.  When it sits on a post above you, eyeing you up there is a bit of a hint of it trying to decide whether to try and eat you.  I found Slaty-backed Gulls abundant in Hokkaido, replacing the Vega Gulls which had been the most common species in Tokyo.  There was actually within the period I've been making this blog a Slaty-backed visitor to Britain, including visiting the landfill adjacent to Rainham which is a site I've frequented before.  However, given the quality of this view of this species in Japan, I'm glad I didn't bother then.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
Subspecies: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - オオセグロカモメ  /  ō se-guro kamome  ('large black-backed gull')  

Common Winter Migrant to Hokkaido and Northern Japan

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Abundant on Hokkaido Coast, dozens seen at each of Akkeshi, Kushiro and Shiranuka

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Baikal Teal (Anas formosa)

OTHER NAMES: Formosa Teal, Spectacled Teal, Bimaculate Duck, Squawk Duck

Latin Etymology: Anas ("duck") formosa ("beautiful")

Adult male Baikal Teal (Sibrionette formosa) at Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire - April 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 360-520g  /  Length: 68-78cm  /  Wingspan: 65-75cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List - Least Concern

The Baikal Teal is one of the rarest of all ducks to turn up in the UK, on the assumption this individual is accepted (and apparently signs are good for that) it will be only the 6th ever in Britain.  Normally, I'm not much of a twitcher, in regards to rare species outside places I can easily access but in this case I made an exception, the Baikal Teal is in my opinion one of the most attractive duck species, plus I have always found Lake Baikal, the place it is named after, fascinating - the deepest lake in the world which contains 20% of the worlds unfrozen fresh water.  Despite being in the middle of Asia it also has its own seal species.  Anyway as a result I decided to go and see this as having the opportunity to do so, and comparatively near me is very rare.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Anas
Subspecies: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - An ultra-rare vagrant, with under seven records ever 

 - A single vagrant male at Fen Drayton .

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis)

OTHER NAMES: Rufous Turtle Dove

Latin Etymology: Streptopelia ("collar-dove") orientalis ("oriental")

Adult Oriental Turtle Dove (subspecies S. o. orientalis) at Arashiyama, Japan - July 2013

Featured Subspecies: Streptopelia orientalis orientalis
Weight: 165-274g  /  Length: 33-35cm  /  Wingspan: 55cm
NO UK STATUS  / IUCN Red List Least Concern

While it closely resembles the European Turtle Dove, it's role in Japan is more consistent with that of the Collared Dove in the UK - a numerous bird found in parkland and in cities.  As with the collared dove, it is a confiding species which permits close views.  It is found throughout much of East Asia, including Japan.  I saw it a number of times on both my trips to Japan, though generally on both occasions while it was found in the more urban sections of the city, this tended to be alongside to rivers with trees.  At the Monkey Sanctuary of Arashiyama they were a bit bolder, presumably learning to be tame to get a share of the food meant for the monkeys.

Related Species:
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Streptopelia
Subspecies: S. o. meena, S. o . orientalis, S. o. stimpsoni, S. o. orii, S. o . erythrocephala, S. o . agricola

- Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - キジバト  /  Kiji-bato ("Pheasant Pigeon")

Very common resident. 

 - KYOTO/OSAKA 2013 TRIP: Common throughout Kyoto and Arashiyama

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Fairly common in Tokyo

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, BirdGuides, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .