Great shot showing a good example of a female with darkish throat. This pattern is commonly seen in European populations, but quite seldom/rarely in maurus. Dark throats in female maurus have been more or less completely ignored in literature, and females are instead described as invariably being pale/white throated.

Michael: How often do you find dark throated females in Kyrgyzstan (or neighbouring areas)?

/Magnus H

Spot on Magnus! Dark-throated females are very rare in Kyrgyzstan; I only have seen a handful during the many years I have roamed the region. The bird on the picture is from Turkmenistan hence quite a distance away from Kyrgyzstan, in the borderzone between Central Asia and European birds. Question is whether it's a "pure" maurus;

Maybe "armenicus..."

Ornithologically Turkmenistan is by far the most "mysterious" and unexplored of Central Asias 'stans.

Join us - in April 2013 where we go there again ;)

Thanks for your comment - it's long time ago I uploaded the pictures of the male (check him too) and this female Sib Stonechat.

Best greetings

Mic