Talk:Common firecrest/GA1

GA Review
The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.''

Reviewer: Sasata (talk) 14:15, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

Hi Jim, I have comments up in a day or two. Looks like this is headed to FAC? Sasata (talk) 14:15, 30 October 2010 (UTC)
 * Thanks. Yes, it's intended for the bear pit  Jimfbleak -  talk to me?  15:55, 31 October 2010 (UTC)


 * The caption for the nest is "Nest" and to me it does not fully explain the image. The article says that the nest has three layers in its wall, but I can not see this in the photograph, and I do not see any hair of feathers lining the nest. The nest is not in a tree. Snowman (talk) 22:10, 30 October 2010 (UTC)
 * I've removed the image and put the singing bird in the breeding section. I had my doubts about this even being a Firecrest nest, but that's what it was described as  Jimfbleak -  talk to me?  15:55, 31 October 2010 (UTC)
 * Before hearing that I had guessed that it was a nest that was not completed by the birds before it was abandoned or removed from a tree. Snowman (talk) 16:00, 31 October 2010 (UTC)


 * The range map looks a bit sketchy. Many of the colour borders are separated with a narrow line of yellow, which I presume should not be there. Snowman (talk) 10:12, 1 November 2010 (UTC)
 * I'll have another look before FAC  Jimfbleak -  talk to me?  06:58, 4 November 2010 (UTC)

Comments Sasata (talk) 16:28, 3 November 2010 (UTC)
 * lead: I'd suggest unlinking Europe and Africa, but linking the less common word temperate
 * done  Jimfbleak -  talk to me?  06:58, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * link subspecies, race, displayed (as in display (zoology)), song->Bird vocalization, fledging, birds of prey
 * done  Jimfbleak -  talk to me?  06:58, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * if linking coniferous, why not broadleaved as well?
 * done  Jimfbleak -  talk to me?  06:58, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "9 cm (3.5 in) length and a wingspan of 13–16 cm" fix missing word
 * done  Jimfbleak -  talk to me?  06:58, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "brownish grey" hyphen
 * done  Jimfbleak -  talk to me?  06:58, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * link plumage
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  06:58, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "other head marking" ->markings
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  06:58, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * link contact call
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  06:58, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "zirt.zirt.zirt The song" needs a period
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  06:58, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * link harmonics
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  06:58, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "frequently given family status." link family
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  06:58, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "a diminutive of rex, a king" put a king in quotes to match etymology format given later
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  06:58, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "was first formally described" link to species description; link species name
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "(von Jordans, 1923)." make this a regular inline citation
 * Done, but this raises an interesting point, which I have listed here <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  09:36, 4 November 2010 (UTC)
 * According to the protolog, it was originally named Sylvia ignicapilla, with the German naturalist M. Brehm as the authority. Did von Jordans transfer it to Regulus in 1823? Perhaps these synonyms should be in the taxobox as well. There's a few more words about this in Yarrell 1843, pp. 323-4. Sasata (talk)
 * The attribution to Brehm is widespread in older docs, but his description was 1826, so Temminck takes priority <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  19:25, 4 November 2010 (UTC)
 * But Temminck (1820) cites Brehm as the authority, so I assume he was referring to something already published, not to something that would be published six years later? Am I missing something here? Sasata (talk) 20:23, 4 November 2010 (UTC)
 * I don't know. Baker gives the full cite as: Sylvia ignicapilla Temminck (ex C. L. Brehm MS partim) 1820 ''Man. Ornith., ec 2, 1, p. 231 &mdash; France, Belgium, Germany etc. Temminck is definitely the authority, but I'm not sure now why it isn't Brehm <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  06:25, 5 November 2010 (UTC)


 * non-breaking spaces in bi- and trinomials
 * Done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  09:36, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "based on the cytochrome b gene" reword to avoid consecutive links
 * Done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  09:36, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "The island form also differed in morphology and vocalizations." still differ presumably, so present tense
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "although some authorities, like Clements" Clements who? link or add first name
 * Done and linked <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  09:36, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * suggest parenthetically adding date ranges for the geological eras Pleistocene and Pliocene
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "In drier Mediterranean habitats it is found conifers" missing word
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * link vagrant->vagrancy (biology)
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "Egypt and the Lebanon."
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * might want to relink display in the Breeding section
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "each others songs." ->other's
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "this is lined with feathers (up to 3,000) and hair." what kind of hair?
 * sources don't say, but as with the feathers it's likely to be whatever they can find <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * link clutch
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "This species can breed aged one year," sounds slightly odd to me, how about "This species becomes sexually mature after one year" or something similar
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * link hybridisation, morphological
 * linked hybrid, morphology already linked earlier <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?


 * "Young Common Firecrests are fed almost exclusively with springtails and larger food items are not accepted, and occasionally spiders are regurgitated." linking with "ands" somewhat inelegant
 * semicoloned <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "In some areas, wintering birds have developed the habit in some of coming to feeding stations" repetitive "in some"
 * removed second instance, meaningless anyway <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * "A study comparing Sylvia warblers, which include fruit in their autumn diet, with the insectivorous Firecrest and Phylloscopus warblers showed that" too much stuff between "A study" and "showed that"
 * rejigged <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * consider adding a picture of a predator
 * Scary Sparrowhawk pic added


 * link host, feather mite, heavy metal
 * done <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * I'll be back later to check reference formatting, and do a lit review

Thanks for comments so far, <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  10:31, 4 November 2010 (UTC)


 * Lit search: only 13 hits for a search of "Regulus ignicapilla" in the ISI Web of Knowledge. I've included the English-language ones here, if you want to pursue any further for FAC:


 * Title: Apparent nesting association of Northern Goshawks and Firecrests
 * Author(s): Mawson, Geoff
 * Source: British Birds  Volume: 103   Issue: 4   Pages: 243-244   Published: APR 2010
 * I searched the first 100 volumes on DVD, forgot to look ate recent ones (103 is this year _ I'll check later <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  06:25, 5 November 2010 (UTC)
 * really useful - I remember reading this! What an idiot! <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  08:01, 5 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Title: Does Argentine ant invasion affect prey availability for foliage-gleaning birds?
 * Author(s): Estany-Tigerstroem, David; Bas, Josep Maria; Pons, Pere
 * Source: Biological Invasions  Volume: 12   Issue: 4   Pages: 827-839   Published: APR 2010
 * I'll add a sentence later <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  06:25, 5 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Title: Effects of forest landscape change and management on the range expansion of forest bird species in the Mediterranean region
 * Author(s): Gil-Tena, Assu; Brotons, Lluis; Saura, Santiago
 * Source: Forest Ecology and Management  Volume: 259   Issue: 7, Sp. Iss. SI   Pages: 1338-1346   Published: MAR 20 2010
 * I had read this, but nothing really relevant <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  06:25, 5 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Title: A comparative study of the population trends of tits Parus and further selected species in the north-eastern Harz mountains (Saxony-Anhalt) since 1993.
 * Author(s): George, Klaus
 * Source: Vogelkundliche Berichte aus Niedersachsen  Volume: 40   Issue: 1-2   Pages: 201-211   Published: Dezember 2008


 * Title: Effects of forest composition and structure on bird species richness in a Mediterranean context: Implications for forest ecosystem management
 * Author(s): Gil-Tena, A; Saura, S; Brotons, L
 * Source: FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT  Volume: 242   Issue: 2-3   Pages: 470-476   Published: APR 30 2007
 * I had read this, but again nothing really relevant <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  06:25, 5 November 2010 (UTC)


 * Title: Juvenile firecrests Regulus ignicapilla as a confusion risk with yellow-browed Phylloscopus inornatus and Pallas's warblers P. proregulus.
 * Author(s): Barthel, Peter H.
 * Source: Limicola  Volume: 17   Issue: 3   Pages: 139-151   Published: 2003
 * This one's in German, but I've included the English abstract:
 * "Due to their hidden life style, the juvenile plumage of Firecrests Regulus ignicapilla is not well known to birdwatchers and rarely illustrated in the literature. As it lacks the characteristic crown pattern of adults, but already shows supercilium, eye stripe and two wing bars, it is very similar to Yellow-browed Phvlloscopus inornatus and Pallas's Warbler P. proregulus. The German rarities commission received several documentations of juvenile Firecrests misidentified, mainly in the hand, as one of these Phylloscopus species. Due to extensive overlap, mesurements do not allow the separation of the three taxa. Pallas's Warbler usually can be ruled out by pale median crown-stripe and rump alone. Yellow-browed Warbler can be identified by e.g. contrastingly pale (instead of washed) tertial fringes, whitish (instead of usually dark) tips to remiges, less extensive black bases to secondaries, whitish (instead of greenish-greyish) belly and darker (instead of paler) brown legs. In live birds, but not in skins, the completely different facial expression is always striking. As the adults, juveniles already show a dark eyebrow and a whitish half moon below the eye. For those who have ever looked into the eye of an adult Firecrest, this is by far the best character to identify juveniles. This method works also with many other difficult taxa because nearly every bird species has a characteristic facial expression, allowing the experienced observer to identify it only by a deep look into the eye. This additional new approach is introduced here as the "Humphrey-Bogart-method" or "Casablanca-way" of bird identification ("Here's looking at you, kid"; or perhaps better in the re-translation of the classical German synchronisation, "I look into your eyes, babe"). Two German reports of Yellow-browed and Pallas's Warblers, both caught in August and repeatedly cited in the literature, are revised and assigned to juvenile Firecrests. Future Central European reports of the two Asiatic warblers between June and September should be documented carefully, because it is exactly during this time that Firecrests wear their confusing juvenile plumage."
 * I'll expand the similar species a bit
 * Title: Firecrests at Spurn in October 2002.
 * Author(s): Roadhouse, Andy
 * Source: Spurn Wildlife  Volume: 12   Pages: 84   Published: 2003
 * I can't access this, but I know the publication which covers a very small recording area. Of only local interest, presumably greater than usual numbers that autumn <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  06:25, 5 November 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for search, I'll add some bits later today. <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  06:25, 5 November 2010 (UTC)


 * All done I think. I found the ID paper interesting, since it couldn't really happen here. By the time the Asian warblers arrive in September/October, Firecrests are in adult plumage, and the warblers are much more common than in Germany, so better-known. I can't understand how Pallas's can be confused with anything - its bright yellow rump is a bit of a give-away <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  12:58, 5 November 2010 (UTC)


 * Any info on what's different about the subspecies R. i. caucasicus and North African R. i. laeneni? Also, this website mentions the subspecies tauricus (Redkin, 2001, from the Crimea) which isn't mentioned here. Sasata (talk) 15:47, 5 November 2010 (UTC)
 * As your link above says, they can't be reliably separated from the two accepted forms. tauricus doesn't seem to be accepted by anyone except HBW, but added with cite now. <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  07:26, 6 November 2010 (UTC)


 * I can't find mention of this species on page 417 of Macgillivray's 1837 book (current reference #39)
 * ooops, five volumes, added volume <b style="font-family:chiller; color:red;"> Jimfbleak - </b> talk to me?  07:26, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

Alright, I think the article ticks all the GA boxes and is well on its way to FA. The references will need a bit of fine-tuning, in particular, deciding whether initials should be followed by fullstops or not (I probably messed with the consistency during my fiddling). See you at the bear pit! Sasata (talk) 16:16, 6 November 2010 (UTC)