オオカワラヒワ / Oriental Greenfinch (subspecies)

There is a subspecies of the Oriental Greenfinch (C. s. kawarahiba, オオカワラヒワ), which is a winter bird in the family of the Oriental Greenfinch. I am ashamed to say that I had no idea that such a subspecies existed, but a fellow birder told me about it and I went looking for it.

First of all, here is the subspecies C. s. minor (カワラヒワ). A common Oriental Greenfinch in Japan. According to the illustrated book, the subspecies C. s. kawarahiba has “a stronger grayish-white head than the subspecies C. s. minor, and the white part of the tertials is wider”. Based on this, let us compare the following photos.

There were many Oriental Green finches along the Houman River (宝満川) in Fukuoka Prefecture. I thought that they might be here because of its proximity to the continent, so I observed them.

So, it was nothing. Apparently, it was the C. s. kawarahiba that I had always seen in the winter. I now have another finer eye for birds.