GAME: name that bird!

[Galana]

Interesting that she lingered so long.

Not sure if I should make these easier or harder as even something like Willow Warbler took ages.

Let's give this one a whirl and see who bids.

 

[mvecht]

@GalanaSince no one else have had a go, I will try with White-rumped Snowfinch? I believe that you have been visiting its breeding range.

Edited December 10, 2020 by mvecht
typo

[Galana]

Well that gave me pause for thought. I did not have it down as that but you may well be correct.

Your suggestion has caused me to google for images and needless to say there are so many inaccuracies it was less than helpful.

Have you noticed the pink legs and white shoulder patches? And the bill? I am now almost convinced it is not a Snowfinch at all.

You are correct about the area, Ladakh 2018, so I will research more but in the meantime hand the baton back to you as being only fair.

[mvecht]

@Galana Please let me know your conclusions 

 

This one should be quite easy so hopefully some other people will join in?

[Soukous]

Let's try a Red-vented Bulbul

[mvecht]

@Soukousthat was quick and correct

[Galana]

3 hours ago, mvecht said:

@Galana Please let me know your conclusions 

 

Oh I will.

In the meanwhile I would be delighted by any suggestions on here from anyone such as @inyathi@michael-ibket al, who know Indian birds.

[inyathi]

@GalanaI had had a look at it when it first came up, I hadn't got as far as an exact species when @mvechtanswered, but my first thought was your bird might be a snowfinch, as I thought it was an Asian bird and I figured from the habitat that you'd likely taken the shot in the Himalayas, but that was off the top of my head and I've only seen the snowfinch that lives in the Pyrenees, having looked at plenty of photos of the different species, I have to say that I can't find a really good match amongst the snowfinches, the same details you picked up on, the legs, the bill and the wing patch, don't seem to fit, I was hoping having consulted a checklist of the birds of Ladakh on Avibase to make sure I was only looking at the right birds, that I could come up with a better suggestion, but so far I've drawn a blank, I'm a bit surprised as there are not that many options to choose from. Even making sure I've checked images of males, females and juveniles, has not produced anything with pale pink legs, or the other markings to be a good match, I'll keep looking in case any other ideas come to me.

 

Often when a photo comes up, I look at it and if a good answer doesn't come straight to mind, I think I'll return to this one later, but then I'm busy with other things, so I don't get around to it straight away, if an answer is not immediately forthcoming, it may not be entirely because it's a hard one, it may just be that no one has had sufficient time to really focus on it, so I don't think we should be too fussed if there hasn't been an answer after a couple of days, but maybe if it is a week or more with no answers, then it's worth asking if anyone is still playing.

Edited December 10, 2020 by inyathi

[mvecht]

@Galana @inyathi I am also not 100% sure about the ID. I have just looked at the birdlist for Ladakh on e bird https://ebird.org/region/IN-JK-LE 

However I could not really find a good fit.

[kittykat23uk]

3 hours ago, Galana said:

Oh I will.

In the meanwhile I would be delighted by any suggestions on here from anyone such as @inyathi@michael-ibket al, who know Indian birds.

 

I photographed white rumped snowfinch in sichuan, pic for comparison : 

 

Edited December 10, 2020 by kittykat23uk

[Galana]

3 hours ago, inyathi said:

Even making sure I've checked images of males, females and juveniles, has not produced anything with pale pink legs, or the other markings to be a good match,

Thanks @mvecht@inyathiand @kittykat23ukIt certainly is rum un. I had it down as a young Tibetan until white rumped was suggested. Then I looked at the legs and bill and had doubts about either call.

Location was Ladakh around Startsapuk. Tashi was not with me that day but our guide was quite bird competent.

Tibetan taken a day later.

 

I have been right through Grimmet and Inskipp and found nothing.

Edited December 10, 2020 by Galana

[Soukous]

Taking into account the variations in plumage found in many species I'm thinking White-winged Snowfinch - Montifringilla nivalis. Although there is a sub-species which looks very similar, Tibetan Snowfinch - Montifringilla henrici

 

forget all the above. I was IDing the second bird posted, thinking it was just another shot of the same mystery bird. I just noticed that it is already identified as a Tibetan Snowfinch.

Doh! Note to self, read posts properly before replying 

Edited December 11, 2020 by Soukous

[Soukous]

This one shouldn't keep you guessing for too long

[Galana]

Rewinding for a moment on that darn Snowfinch I think one thing it is not is White-rumped so a bit of an own goal there. ONe thing I have noticed in the multitude of photos is that juv Snowfinchs can and do have flesh coloured legs so that is one anomaly less. I am still leaning to Tibetan but the search goes on.

 

Meanwhile back to @Soukous's two day old offering.

[Galana]

The lonliness of the long distance birder.

So my first reaction is that a Sparrow with a Grey head should be called Grey-headed Sparrow and the absence of a small white bib combined with @Soukous's known territory points to Southern Grey-headed Sparrow.

Sits and awaits being told wrong and it is some obscure escape from the Pet trade from Bognor Regis.

 

[Soukous]

1 hour ago, Galana said:

The lonliness of the long distance birder.

So my first reaction is that a Sparrow with a Grey head should be called Grey-headed Sparrow and the absence of a small white bib combined with @Soukous's known territory points to Southern Grey-headed Sparrow.

Sits and awaits being told wrong and it is some obscure escape from the Pet trade from Bognor Regis.

 

 

No need to hold your breath. I also believe it is a Southern Grey-headed Sparrow. Immature I think.

Strangely though, when I took the photo - In Zambezi NP - I asked 3 guides for an ID and not one of them called it as a Sparrow and they were reluctant to believe me when I told them I thought it was one. Mainly because it does not match the photo in their books. 

As you can imagine, I was very chuffed to have succeeded where local guides failed. 

[Galana]

3 hours ago, Soukous said:

In Zambezi NP

Ouch. Right on the cusp where they both occur. but the lack of white bib and less dark Lores hold good.

Imm? Hard to say. Kids grow up so quickly these days.

 

Ah well. If its not an East Anglian Avadavat  I suppose I better go again.

Tip. It S no Finch.

 

Edited December 14, 2020 by Galana

[Soukous]

Looks a bit like a Common Starling, but you wouldn't do that would you?

[Galana]

41 minutes ago, Soukous said:

but you wouldn't do that would you?

Certainly would but in this instance I have n't.

[Soukous]

Could it be a Southern Ant-eating Chat?

[inyathi]

@Galana

 

Well, it looks very thrush like to me. I like to think I'm pretty familiar with the tropical Asian thrushes, such as you might have seen in India and I'm quite familiar with the African thrushes, none of either really comes to mind. I've also seen a few South American species, but I don't perhaps know all of those, quite as well, but a quick perusal of my South American book produced nothing, so I'd rule those out. What is slightly confusing me is that the bill is all dark and is quite small and short, a lot of thrushes have brightly coloured yellow or orange bills, there are still plenty that don't, that have grey or dark bills but they're usually I think slightly longer, I also noticed that your bird unless I'm mistaken, has a white ring on it's leg. What I then wondered, is if this is not some exotic thrush at all, if it is in fact just a juvenile common or Eurasian blackbird, I think that the plumage as well as the dark bill, would fit a juvenile blackbird, having had that thought though, it could then be a juvenile of some other more exotic thrush, one of the blackbird's Indian relatives perhaps. What I also noticed, is that the bird is standing next to a pine cone, this for me rules out Africa, pines are not native to Africa, although they are widely grown in plantations and I suppose some gardens in certain places might have the odd pine, this cone then takes me back to Eurasia, as I don't think it's a North American thrush. 

 

At the moment I will stick with juvenile blackbird?    

[Soukous]

38 minutes ago, inyathi said:

Well, it looks very thrush like to me.

 

I thought the same, but could not place it.

[mvecht]

Juvenile Ring Ouzel?

[Galana]

It was good for my history to lure some away from home and whilst not a Chat it is not only a Thrush but a home grown one. So home grown that if not for Covid I could have looked them up again this year as  have done in previous years.

 

That is an aluminium ring that @inyathispotted but not one I needed to report although the number was clearly legible.

 

That was because the bird was seen right in front of its nest site as this less cropped version of the original shows..

 

Indeed in another year this could have been him or her with mum.

 

We are indeed as @mvechthas said looking at a Turdus but not a Throssle but an Ouzel.

 

And whilst exercise is always good for one there is no need to hike the British uplands to see a Mountain Blackbird as some are ridiculously accessible and almost hand tame at this particular site due to visitors to a local attraction sharing their picnic with them. Whilst known to a few birders, I actually spotted them from the carriage window as my train drew into the station.

 

Over to the other Martin @mvecht

[inyathi]

@GalanaDarn, it seems I hit the post with that one, I considered some of the variations of the blackbird found in Asia but not our own European one, which should have been an obvious next guess, but it's long time since I've seen an ouzel.  

Edited December 15, 2020 by inyathi