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SEQUENCE OF PLUMAGES IN BRITISH BIRDS. 



V. — THE COMMON WHEATEAR, WHINCHAT AND COMMON 

 REDSTART. 



BY 

 C. B. TICEHURST, m.a., b.c, m.r.c.s., m.b.o.u. 



COMMON WHEATEAR. Saxicola cenanthe (Linn.). 

 Down-Plumage. Dark grey. Distribution — Inner supra- 

 orbital, occipital, humeral, spinal (confined to the middle of the 

 dorsum), and femoral. Moderate length (c/. Vol. II., p. 

 189). 



Juvenile Plumage. Acquired while in the nest, the Down- 

 Plumage being completely moulted. 



MALE and FEMALE. Whole head greyish-brown, the feathers 

 with oval or triangular terminal whitish spots, which in the super- 

 ciliary region form a faint stripe ; mantle and scapulars brown, the 

 feathers with mesial pale streaks and faint, dark terminal bars ; 

 rump and upper tail-coverts white, the feathers with faint, dark ter- 

 minal markings ; ear-coverts greyish, the feathers with dark brown 

 edges and tips ; chin and throat greyish-white, the feathers with faint, 

 dark terminal markings ; breast huffish-white, the feathers with slightly 

 larger and darker terminal markings ; belly and under tail-coverts 

 creamy-white, the feathers with faint, dark terminal markings ; tail- 

 feathers black, with pale tips, and the basal two-thirds of all white, 

 except the two central ones, which have the basal one-third white ; 

 remiges brownish-black, edged with huffish- or rufescent-brown on the 

 outer webs, broadly on the inner secondaries ; primary-coverts like the 

 primaries ; greater wing-coverts brownish-black, with huffish- or rufescent- 

 brown broad edges on the outer webs ; median and lesser wing-coverts 

 brownish-black, with terminal pale buff or cream-coloured spots. 



N.B. — There is some individual variation in the amount of the pale 

 markings in the upper- and dark markings in the binder-parts ; before 

 this plumage is moulted both parts become paler. 



First Winter- Plumage. Acquired by a complete moult, 

 with the exception of the rectrices, remiges, primary- and 

 greater wing-coverts. 



MALE and FEMALE. Whole head, nape, mantle and scapulars 

 brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts white ; superciliary stripe and line 

 from base of bill cream or creamy-buff ; lores dusky ; ear-coverts 

 brown, paler on the lower part ; chin whitish-buff ; throat creamy-buff ; 

 breast darker buff ; belly, flanks and under tail-coverts creamy-buff to 

 creamy-white ; rectrices, remiges, primary- and greater wing-coverts as in 



