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~ @@Terry

 

I like your babbler photograph!

The rich green bokeh background is especially pleasing.

When visiting Sabi Sands for the first time, in October, I saw this species.

None of my images of it approach the loveliness of yours.

It seems that both @@mvecht and @@Geoff were quick on the draw, simultaneously identifying it.

I would have appreciated their assistance when I first spotted it, as I had no idea what it might be.

Thank you for posting the photo.

Tom K.

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@@mvecht @@Tom Kellie, @@Geoff

 

Thank you all for helping name the babbler! I have one last bird I need help naming from our safari which I photographed the last week in October in the northwestern end of Madikwe at the Bush House, truly a green oasis with flowering trees and little ponds to entice the birds.

 

 

Actually I have pictures of two different birds, but I suspect one is a female or an juvenile and the other is a male of the same species.

 

gallery_22564_950_281060.jpg

gallery_22564_950_259023.jpg

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Does anybody think it is possible that this is a River Warbler (locustella fluviatilis) which is dark brown with slightly paler underparts. diffuse streaking on the throat and breast? Or some other similar warbler?

 

It's not perfect a perfect match to the description of its habitat in my S.A. bird books, but it does have a light eye ring around a dark eye, and orange bill with a dark spot on top and red legs. Juvenile is warmer rufus above and creamy buff below. The River Warbler breeds in eastern Europe and winters in eastern Africa.

 

A River Warbler forages on the ground and spends it's time in dense thickets near water. I did pay a price for walking under the thorn tree on The Bush House lawn to get these pictures. I'd prefer, if I get to photograph another one, it be foraging on the ground.

 

Terry

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~ @@Terry and @@mvecht

 

Would you allow a complete amateur to conjecture?

Could the photos possibly depict Eremomela usticollis, Burnt-necked Eremomela?

The bill and plumage color, as well as the eye suggests Eremomela usticollis.

Of course, others with greater experience would be more authoritative.

Thank you for posting it, a species seldom featured anywhere.

Tom K.

Edited by Tom Kellie
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Thank you, @@Tom Kellie, I believe you are correct when you call this the Burnt-necked Eremomela. I have a couple of more pictures which show the rusty throat patch more clearly. Most importantly, the acacia and dry riverbed habitat is correct for the bird I photographed.

 

Thanks again for helping with the identification. And no. I don’t believe you are a complete amateur.

Edited by Terry
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Thank you, @@Tom Kellie, I believe you are correct when you call this the Burnt-necked Eremomela. I have a couple of more pictures which show the rusty throat patch more clearly. Most importantly, the acacia and dry riverbed habitat is correct for the bird I photographed.

 

Thanks again for helping with the identification. And no. I don’t believe you are a complete amateur.

 

~ @@Terry

 

You've made my night!

With such skilled African bird experts as @@Peter Connan, @@inyathi and @@mvecht, I feel abashed about raising my hand in class to answer a question.

Therefore it's a relief to know that my conjecture was useful.

Thanks for letting me know. I'm so unsure of myself about African birds, reptiles, mammals, insects or plants.

Tom K.

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  • 1 year later...
Columbarius

Hi,

 

Just back from a great trip to SA, Zim & Botswana during which we recorded over 100 different bird species.

 

But I'm finding the Eagles difficult to ID. Can anyone help with these two please

 

post-51459-0-33374100-1494492154_thumb.jpg

 

post-51459-0-76436700-1494492161_thumb.jpg

 

Thanks for your feedback.

 

Russell

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Towlersonsafari

i am a mere amateur but is the second one an African Hawk Eagle? and my guess for the top one is Wahlberg'seagle, @@Columbarius but hopefully someone who knows what they are talking about will assist!

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Columbarius

Thanks for the feedback Trowlers. I also suspect Hawk Eagle for #2, but I'm not sure.

 

I'm also struggling with this:

post-51459-0-51715500-1494504504_thumb.jpg

 

The big yellow eye makes me think some species of Snake Eagle, but that's as far as I get.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Columbarius

I'm still struggling to identify the eagles (above). Any thoughts will be much appreciated, thanks.

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@@Columbarius I would think that your first eagle could possibly be a pale tawny but it could be Wahlberg's though the latter usually looks like it has a bit of a crest and I think the next bird probably is an African hawk eagle. As to what your final eagle is I'm not absolutely sure, at first glance just on the colour a pale Walhberg's seems like a possibility but it wouldn't have a bright yellow eye it would be brown and the shape doesn't look quite right. The very bright yellow eye and the shape of the bird do suggest a snake eagle, but this bird doesn't fit the descriptions given for any of the snake eagles in the books I've looked at. The Birds of Africa illustrates a brown snake eagle with a pale head although it's not shown as white as this bird appears to be, but doesn't describe the bird as having a pale head. My best guess would be that the bird is a brown snake eagle possibly a juvenile unless it's just an odd individual, a Google image search for brown snake eagle did produce a couple of images of birds looking somewhat like yours but I assume that such birds aren't that common. I can't otherwise understand why if it's a juvenile the books don't describe juvenile brown snakes as having white or pale heads and they don't suggest that adult birds do either. A bit of a mystery really but unless anyone else has a better suggestion I can only say brown snake eagle.

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Columbarius

Thanks for your detailed feedback Inyathi. I think the African Hawk Eagle ID is pretty certain. The other two? I think I'd probably settle for Wahlberg's for #1, since Sasol gives the Tawny eye colour as yellow. But I agree with you #3 is a mystery. Anyway thanks for looking.

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Towlersonsafari

Hello again @@Columbarius the book The Raptors Guide of Southern Africa has a photo of a "pale juvenile" Black Chested Snake Eagle that looks very like your third mystery Bird

Edited by Towlersonsafari
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kittykat23uk

Hello again @@Columbarius the book The Raptors Guide of Southern Africa has a photo of a "pale juvenile" Black Chested Snake Eagle that looks very like your third mystery Bird

Yeah looks like that's a good fit, bearing in mind that the head seems over exposed and so is probably looking paler than it actually is maybe?

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Columbarius

Well done Towlers, I think you've got it. I don't have the Raptors Guide, but I've searched the net, and I can find some very similar images for the juvenile Black-Chested Eagle.

 

Thanks for looking & commenting kittykat. Sorry about the over-exposure it's sometimes tricky shooting against a bright sky.

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