TURKEY - a report from a birdwatching trip to Central ... - Netfugl.dk

2006: Most 17.5 30 Kayseri-Sarkisla – 17.5 150 Kayseri-Sivas (75 nests Sivas) – 18.5 65 Erzinzan
– 18.5 85 Mercan-Askale – 18.5 100 Askale – 20.5 225 Ardahan – 21.5 400 Susuz – 22.5 150
Caldiran.
2007: Most 17.5 60 Sarkisla-Sivas – 18.5 85 Erzinzan-Altunkent – 18.5 100 Altunkent – 19.5 100
Askale – 20.5 700 Sazak – 20.5 300 Kars – 21.5 100 Caldiran – 21.5 250 Bulanik.
264. Hooted Crow Corvus corone Gråkrage
Common throughout.
2005: Most 16.5 20 Baskarschmak - 17.5 20 Hopa.
2006: Most 14.5 10 Istanbul – 18.5 15 Mercan-Askale – 20.5 10 Debarapazi-Hoba – 20.5 25
Ardahan – 21.5 30 Kars-Halikisla – 22.5 20 South Van Marshes – 24.5 10 Birezik.
2007: Most 15.5 6 Göksu Delta- 15.5 7 Pozanti-Demirkazik – 18.5 10 Erzinzan-Altunkent – 18.5 9
Ikizdere-Rize – 19.5 10 Hopa – 21.5 15 Bulanik – 25.5 40 Birezik – 25.5 5 Halfeti – 26.5 10
Birezik-Adana.
265. Common Raven Corvus corax Ravn
Scarce in mountain and hilly country.
2005: Most 16.5 2 Sivri Kaya - 17.5 4 Artvin.
2006: Most 15.5 3 Imamli-Mut – 15.5 6 Mut – 19.5 2 Sivri Kaya – 19.5 3 Kalkandere-Izikdere –
20.5 7 Borcka-Artvin – 20.5 10 Artvin.
2007: 15.5 2 Imamli – 19.5 1 Borcka-Artvin – 19.5 1 Artvin-Savsat – 20.5 1 Dogubayazit
Ssp. laurencei occurs in most of the area, except extreme northeast, where overlapping with corax.
Compared to corax, has slightly duller, less glossy plumage, with wear often with brownish tinge to
hindneck with shorter throat-feathers (Cramp & Perrins 1994).
266. Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris tauricus Stær
Common, especially in northern part of Anatolia, where abundant in arable land and villages; flock
up to 50 noted here.
2005: Most 15.5 45 near Nigde - 15.5 40 Sarisla - 15.5 55 near Sivas - 16.5 100 near Erzinzan -
Scarcer in the far East, but with 18.5 50 Serpmetas - 19.5 30 Ishak Pasa the largest numbers..Again
more numereous westwards, e.g. 19.5 80 Van Marshes - 20.5 215 South Van Marshes.
2006: Most 18.5 25 Erzinzan-Mercan – 18.5 40 Gelinkaya – 21.5 65 Ardahan-Kars – 21.5 85 Igdir-
Dogubayazit – 21.5 40 Dogubayazit – 22.5 20 Dogubayazit – 22.5 70 Ishak Pasa.
2007: Most 15.5 15 Pinarbasi – 16.5 15 Demirkazik – 20.5 35 Ardahan-Kars – 20.5 15 Kars – 20.5
50 Saz Gölü – 21.5 50 Sim Er Hotel, Dogubayazit – 21.5 40 Patnos-Bulanik – 21.5 400 Bulanik –
25.5 85 Café Gülhane, Birezik – 25.5 40 Halfeti-Birezik.
The ssp. tauricus present in E Turkey. Generally appears blacker than vulgaris with more purple,
oily gloss, but extensive green gloss on head (in sharp sunlight in good contrast to rest of body).
The overall spotting and the pale edges to coverts and tertials were much weaker than in vulgaris,
thus bearing reminiscence to Spotless Starling S. unicolor; however, tauricus invariably showed
broad white crevrons in under tail coverts (lacking or at most (1 year females) very narrow in
Spotless) and most shows pale spots in mantle, lacking in Spotless (but in some tauricus worn off).
Further differences are (Malling Olsen 2003, 2006 with comments on certain aspects by L.
Svensson, J. Boman & M. Hellström in litt):
1. Bill usually stronger with more curved upper mandible in Spotless (where might appear
intermediate in shape between the spike-like of Starling and the thrush-like of Rosy-coloured
starling). Furthermore, many Spotless males shows more extensive bluish grey base to bill than in
Common Starling.