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Hi Guys,

These are the photos of the only accepted graellsii from Hungary. Pictures were taken at Hortobágy, 23. October 2003. The Rarities Committee accepted this record but I'm doubt about it, because I'm not sure if an intermedius or a Dutch intergrade could be excluded. In the documentation it was written that the bird was moulting the primaries. The observers saw the left wings P10 and P9 was in growth, on P10 a bigger white spot was already visible.
I've would be glad if you could write your opinion of this bird if it could be surely identified to be a graellsii, or other ssp-s are not excludeable from these photos and data.

Thanks in advance,

Dániel Balla

hi dániel,

i'd only exclude heuglini of the subsp. in question. no way to exclude intermedius or dutch intergrade (which isn't a subsp. itself). variation in intermedius allows it to be as pale as this appears and neither primary moult (quite variable) nor a largish p10 mirror is extraordinary for dutch or souther scandinavian lesser black-backeds.

lou