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GAME: name that bird!


Jochen

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@Tom KelliePleasing that your students came around to the correct answer from their learned Mentor.

It is indeed a Papyrus Yellow Warbler.

Here is another study of the same bird with the same clue that @mvechtoverlooked.

1-DSCN0272.JPG.3c75191ef5fa3e633690220c4aaf7614.JPG

Galana's Law needs sensitive application and whilst Michael got on the right track with "Yellow" and "Warbler" he dropped the ball with a too general "Africa. He missed the eco system was Papyrus.

An endemic of East African Papyrus beds with a somewhat chequered 'family' history. First as a Flycatcher then placed with its two cousins as Chloropetra and finally based on molecular structure into its own monotypic genus Calamonastides but retaining throughout this trauma the specific gracilirostris.

 

This little beauty was eventually caught posing nicely in a small Papyrus bed feeding into Uganda's Lake Bunyoni during my trip around South West Uganda in December 2018.

 

Over to you with commiserations to @mvechtfor a valiant try.

 

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~ @Galana:

 

Thank you for the supplementary image for Calamonastides gracilirostris.

 

Observing it in a Ugandan papyrus bed must surely have been a satisfying experience. 

 

A lesser factor amongst the congeries which persuaded the teenage students was the species name, “gracilirostris”.

 

As with much binomial nomenclature, terms are recycled as appropriate.

 

The sources used to coin “gracilirostris” were “gracilis”, or slender, and “rostrum”, or snout. 

 

That does indeed describe the avian species in the image posted.

 

It also describes a well-known species of East Asian shrimp inhabiting such brackish water habitats as mangroves or marshes.

 

Caridina gracilirostris, or Rednose Shrimp, has been utilized in life science aquaria as it's a peaceful species which remains affable in the presence of more aggressive crustaceans.

 

One waggish student noted that in the pet trade Caridina gracilirostris is also marketed as Rhino Shrimp, postulating that there might be a tenuous connection linking Calamonastides gracilirostris to the distinctive horned mammals.

 

Enough of such sophomoric flapdoodle.

 

It's once again my lot to riffle through images in search of a bird species image approaching the calibre of those regularly posted in this thread.

 

             Tom K.

 

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12 hours ago, Tom Kellie said:

The sources used to coin “gracilirostris” were “gracilis”, or slender, and “rostrum”, or snout. 

Indeed. There are several avian species with the 'species' described thus. Even our subjects near cousin the Lesser (or Cape) Reed Warber Acrocephalus gracilirostris proudly carries it.

 

Observing the bird in ANY Swamp is a challenge but satisfying when it decides to eventually pose however briefly. I noted from the sequence that there were quite a few near misses before that 'gotcha' moment.

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1188627087_femaleofthespecies.JPG.8f2e38ee43484ac837c393d98e696dc6.JPG

 

Photographed on 5 October, 2014 at 4:43 pm

 

 

~ After mulling over the possibilities, it seemed reasonable to post this commonly observed species.

 

It's been a favorite of Chinese university students who accompanied their professor on field ecology trips.

 

Although a female of a species in which a male would be readily identifiable, there are diagnostic features visible.

 

Upon request, additional images are available, including of her mate.

 

Although banded, this particular bird was photographed outdoors, free of captivity.

 

            Tom K.

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@Tom KellieNot 100% sure but I believe it is a Bronze Sunbird (Nectarinia kilimensis).

Edited by mvecht
typo
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~ @mvecht:

 

How low may I bow in admiration? Terrific!

 

You're absolutely correct. Evidence of experience and refined judgment about bird species.

 

It's indeed a female Nectarinia kilimensis, photographed in the Succulent Garden of the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi.

 

Before passing along the baton to you, I'll post an image made that same day in 2014 of the mate.

 

                 Tom K.

 

 

CP6T1721.JPG.e21b433a89a62eb05fa3e5546d7434ad.JPG

 

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@Tom Kellie I seem to remember that you had been visiting that part of the world. There are a few similar female sunbirds but there was enough detail in your excellent photo to make a qualified guess. Had you posted your superb photo of the male instead it would have been straight forward:D

My next contender was released unharmed shortly after the photo was taken

fugl_1310.JPG.ad478124c8e203644441efd554df37ae.JPG

 

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Curses.

Galana's Law fails me.

Because of that my first reaction was Sedge Warbler but there are no Sedges in sight.

And then I think the contrast between the white supercilium  and darker 'blacker' head and eye stripe was more marked then a Sedge.

So hoping it was not one of the numerous Phylloscopus with eye stripes I decided to go for Moustached.

It's a warbler and I am not sure how it qualifies for a moustache, perhaps it is  a young shaver? But I will go for Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon.

Flat-headed Black beard? Hardly fair to such a nice little bird. (In colloquial northern English "Flat headed" is hardly complimentary and Black beard isn't very nice either.):D

Edited by Galana
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@Galana The girls nail polish is kind of sedge colour:D

The idea of this being a Sedge Warbler is not too far off. In 1946 a pair of supposed Moustached Warblers were breeding in Cambridgeshire but later this had been taken out of the official British list believing the birds were Sedge Warblers!

The picture was taken in Eilat Israel and it is indeed a Moustached Warbler (Acrocephalus melanopogon). I also have a hard time with the name, failing to see any Moustache.

The Danish name translates as Tamarisk Warbler.

Over to you.

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Tamarisk Warbler seems eminently sensible. I noted the nail varnish and wondered if he/she had the moustache too?

 

Here is my next attempt.

1-DSCF2469.JPG.b45f210e07f20ab4120545674365cb04.JPG

See what anyone can make of that.

 

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@Galana I have tried to apply Galana`s law to this bird. It seems to work in Danish where the name of the bird translates in to Red tail.

I dont master English well enough to fully translate Redstart as it seems like start is an antonym to tail!

Anyhow I will suggest that the bird is a female Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

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42 minutes ago, mvecht said:

I don't master English well enough to fully translate Redstart as it seems like start is an antonym to tail!

 

make what you will of that sentence :P most English people don't know what an antonym is ;)

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antonym works OK @mvechtThe opposite in some circumstances to start can be 'tail' end. A tail back of cars in a motorway. The start of a queue (Iine in US speak) would be the tail so Redstart is really Red tail which really would be more proof of Galana's Law.

Sadly the picture is not a Common Redstart although to be honest if you are familiar with the bird Galana's Law does still apply to a certain extent.

3 hours ago, Soukous said:

most English people don't know what an antonym is 

True. I had to look it up. This Forum is very educational to us Acrocephalus folk.:P

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@Galana

26 minutes ago, Galana said:

if you are familiar with the bird Galana's Law does still apply to a certain extent.

 familiar or familiaris :rolleyes:

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could it be a Familiar Chat?

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@soukous  that is what I was hinting at trying not to get the baton:D  Familiar Chat = Cercomela familiaris

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6 minutes ago, mvecht said:

@soukous  that is what I was hinting at trying not to get the baton:D  Familiar Chat = Cercomela familiaris

Surely you have realised by now that I am absolutely hopeless at getting subtle clues. :wacko:

 

I worked from Galana's gratuitous use of Acrocephalus. These are warblers, so I looked for a warbler with a red tail. 

The closest I could get was the Familiar Chat.

Edited by Soukous
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2 hours ago, Soukous said:

could it be a Familiar Chat?

Not only could be is. Now you can sort out between the two of you who gets the Baton or Short Straw as I was late on parade today to see @mvecht's suggestion.

 

2 hours ago, Soukous said:

Galana's gratuitous use of Acrocephalus.

Er. That was not a clue but a statement. Acrocephalus = Flat Head.  Common friendly description based on locals head gear of Cloth Cap. It was not unusual where I was raised for 'friends' to greet one another with "Howdoo yer Flatheeded booger?"

Over to one of you.

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3 minutes ago, Galana said:

Er. That was not a clue but a statement. Acrocephalus = Flat Head

 

well, your clue that wasn't a clue lead me to the answer. Just like in "The Day of the Jackal", where the French secret service work back from Chacal to get Charles Calthrop, even though it was pure coincidence that the french for Jackal is chacal.

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I still think this whole Forum should be included in anyone's further education.

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@SoukousYou were the first to name the bird, so please go ahead with the next entry.

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12 hours ago, mvecht said:

@SoukousYou were the first to name the bird, so please go ahead with the next entry.

 

:D I was holding back in the hope that you might put something up. Like you, I enjoy trying to guess the species but struggle to find worthy contenders when I win. Give me a few moments please.

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OK, rather than keep you all waiting, I'll post this one.

Not too tough

 

ntb.jpg.716956f6d44a534162a4c6b39e859313.jpg

 

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37 minutes ago, Soukous said:

Not too tough

 

@SoukousI wouldn't wish to disappoint.:D 

 

Unless I am mistaken, in 1806 a French ornithologist and explorer by the name of Francois Le Vaillant, discovered this cuckoo whilst exploring South Africa, and he named it after his Khoikhoi servant whose name was Klaas

 

He said the following,

 

"My friend Klaas, receive the homage I address to you here, may naturalists keep the name I've given the species, I am going to describe and dedicate to the services which you have rendered me, they will prove that my works, have had some value in their eyes."

 

Or something like that, I translated that from the translation, that Google Translate gave me of the original French :lol:  

 

His wish was granted, Is it by any chance Klaas's cuckoo (Cuculus klaas)?

 

 

Edited by inyathi
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1 hour ago, inyathi said:

Is it by any chance Klaas's cuckoo (Cuculus klaas)?

Well if by chance it is not then I will go for his cousin Diederick.:D

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