On 5th November 2005 members of Sorby Breck Ringing Group visited Williamthorpe for a ringing session. During this session they caught and ringed four Common (Mealy) Redpolls as well as 57 Lesser Redpolls. Below I present a few in the hand photographs of two of these birds, an adult male (plates 1 - 7) and a first winter male (plates 8 -10) which illustrate some of the differences between them, with a brief summary of some of the distinguishing points.
1 2
In the field I usually find that Common Redpolls are noticeably bulkier in appearance when seen alongside Lesser Redpolls with usually a rather more bull-necked appearance and are overall greyer and colder brown in colouration. Plates 3 and 4 illustrate these points quite well. In the hand measurements will usually seperate them. In plate 3 note the greyer upperparts of the Common Redpoll with narrower dark centres and broader greyish white fringes to the upperparts feathering compared with the much warmer brown toned Lesser alongside. The wingbars formed by the tips of the greater coverts appear clean whitish compared with buffish on the Lesser. The fringes of many other feathers such as the primaries tertials and tail feathers are often also noticeably whiter.
3 4
Another feature I often find useful in the field is that Lesser Redpolls usually have extensive buffish-brown feathering on the breast which is usually paler and much reduced or lacking in Common Redpoll. Note the large amount of buff-brown admixed with the pinkish on the breast of the adult male Lesser Redpoll in plate 4 and compare it with the adult male Common in plates 1,2, 4 and 5. Note how the buffish is also much reduced in the first winter male in plates 9 and 10.
5 6
The rump on Common Redpolls is usually whitish (pinkish in adult males) and is usually quite well streaked but in flight this can often appear as an Arctic Redpoll-like white patch. Lesser Redpolls rarely show such a pale rump in flight.
7 8
Redpolls often feed in the tops of Birches and views obtained are often from below. Common Redpoll with its whiter looking underparts can resemble the rarer Arctic Redpoll in such views. Plate 6 shows the underparts of the adult male, note the large dark centres to the longest undertail coverts, a feature which helps to seperate them. Arctic Redpoll usually have either just a faint narrow shaft streak on these feathers or they are unmarked.
9 10
Common Redpolls are usually scarce visitors to Williamthorpe but in some years such as 1995/6 winter larger numbers can be present. In that particular year four Arctic Redpolls also turned up at Williamthorpe.
Thanks to Geoff Mawson and Sorby Breck Ringing Group for the opportunity to photograph these birds.