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GAME: name that bird!


Jochen

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~ @Soukous, @inyathi, and @Galana:

 

Here in the eastern United States and in southeastern China the lovely species looks like Chrysococcyx klaas, Klaas's Cuckoo.

 

Remembering occasions photographing the similar Chrysococcyx caprius, Diederik Cuckoo, there are discernible differences.

 

Or so one remembers after many years. The image posted by @Soukousshows a splash of white on the side of the head, rather than a more extended band.

 

It also has the white outer plumes on each side of the tail feathers, but no others.

 

*******************

 

Although certainly not the same, it was striking to the teenage naturalists that the overall coloration was similar to a member of the bulbul family.

 

Spizixos semitorques, Collared Finchbill, has a distinctive bill unlike a typical cuckoo. Yet from the back, by happenstance it shares the look of Chrysococcyx klaas, as captured by the camera in the above instance.

 

Thank you to @Soukousfor posting this as it's been quite a spell since last observing or even thinking about African cuckoos.

 

            Tom K.

 

 

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@inyathihas it, and a story too. 

Sorry @Tom KellieI think the time difference may have beaten you, as it gave us on this side of the Atlantic a few hours head start.

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@SoukousI'm quite glad that I got the answer right, I was a bit worried after telling the story of the bird's name, that I would look a bit silly, if had picked the wrong cuckoo after all. :lol:, I could offer up Monsieur Le Valliant's girlfriend, but that would be far too easy, she was a Gonaqua woman, Francois had trouble pronouncing her name, because I presume it had clicks in it, so he called her Narina. Instead I will offer up something entirely different, that may not prove too hard.

 

Israel0098.jpg.296828c5b59ecd0048758511770f720c.jpg 

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cunning lighting confuses the colours

could that be a female Red-winged Starling?

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@inyathiNot only cunning lighting but also a confusing angle making it hard to see the length of the tail:D

I believe it is a Tristram`s Starling (Onychognathus tristramii)

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Tuned in too late. I agree with @mvecht

A middle eastern bird sometimes called Tristram's Grackle.

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@mvechtI seem to recall if I'm not mistaken, that you posted at least one bird from the same part of the world, I did think that perhaps you might have seen this species. When I saw it, I think it was still called Tristam's grackle, why it was called that I'm not sure, as grackle is really an American bird name, Tristam's starling is a much better name, so yes that is what it is, back to you:)

 

@SoukousRed-winged starling does look pretty similar, they are close relatives, in the same genus Onychognathus , there are actually 11 species of red-winged starlings and to see this one, you need to leave Africa and hop across the Red Sea, as Tristam's is the one non-African species, it is a Middle Eastern endemic, I'd hoped that might make it a bit more difficult, as you would be looking in your African books, but not difficult for anyone else, who has been to Israel, where I spotted mine.      

Edited by inyathi
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@inyathiI did indeed see this bird in Israel, mainly at Masada. It was part of my BY 2019.

Have a go at this one. Should be easy if you use the right book:D

@kitsafari may have an advantage here. Pun intended.

nn.JPG.10827c7f76b112b9943dfba5941ce950.JPG

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Ah KIt and Herman. Good pun but not needed cos I have seen this one on my brief visit to San Diego AND have the book by Sibley to aid my failing memory.

Heerman's Gull I think.

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@Galana Well done. Heerman`s Gull seen at Dana Point Harbour, California.

Over to you.

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crikey. Sometimes they sit here for days and others for just a few minutes. You snooze you lose

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2 hours ago, Soukous said:

crikey. Sometimes they sit here for days and others for just a few minutes.

True. I suppose it depends on whether the player has had personal experience of the subject or is working through books. With Heerman's those red bill and black legs just handed it over.

 

Try this one.

1-DSCN5399.JPG.4a113e660edd96c8fed0e1096d02b8f9.JPG

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@Galana  Interesting bird from one of your favourite areas. Galanas law will work well in English whereas in most other languages it wont, if I have made a proper ID :rolleyes:

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1 hour ago, mvecht said:

whereas in most other languages it wont,

Well not knowing the other languages that don't comply with my Law how can I tell if you have made the correct ID?

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@Galana I am trying hard not to get the baton:rolleyes:

The English and also Finnish and Italian name involves a spice whereas in most other languages it involves a geographical feature.

The Danish name is yet again different and the prefix would be similar to Rednin in your local language

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I've got it, but I really don't have any photos left to post, so I'll let someone else get it.  :)

 

 

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21 hours ago, mvecht said:

@inyathiI did indeed see this bird in Israel, mainly at Masada. It was part of my BY 2019.

Have a go at this one. Should be easy if you use the right book:D

@kitsafari may have an advantage here. Pun intended.

 

 

 

I still wouldn't have got it. :blink: i stay away from gulls, cisticolas, larks, plovers, terns, and almost all other shorebirds

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First time I see a game that nobody wants to win :lol:.

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cinnamon chested bee eater ??

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The mind boggles.:P

One who does not want the baton and cites obscurities such as Nutmeg or Curry flavoured birds. Would it be endemic to The Spice Islands I wonder?

A lady suggests that she has also got the answer which must have come from a guide book  as, as far as I am aware, will not have seen it first hand.

And another, perhaps overcome with sugar and spice and all things nice that little girls are made of, gets it wrong.

 

I have tried to translate Rednin but the closest I can make is Red-faced or nose.

Neither is it a geographic or physical feature or breed of dog in other languages although I have no knowledge of Serbo-Croatian so I am not 100% certain.

I am not multi lingual but many years ago I made a promise to my then new wife that if she traveled with me I would ensure that I could obtain a room and food  for her in any country we visited and from that albeit limited base  I feel that perhaps Galana's Law is still applicable.

Sorry Martin you have been mislead.<_<

Edited by Galana
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3 minutes ago, Galana said:

Sorry Martin you have been mislead.

Again!! :o

That's what comes of being young and gullible

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my other option was blue-breasted, but I cannot be certain there is any blue

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thanks Martin that was going to be my next guess. Not that easy to tell Cinnamon - chested and Blue-breasted apart.

@Galana I was too confident that it was a Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater

I dont speak Manx but according to Google Rednin can translate as Ochre which is what is used in the Danish name of the bird. In many other languages they use the word Mountain rather than Cinnamon - breasted.

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@Soukous

@mvechtI think if you had a clear view of the chest, you'd be able to tell them apart quite easily, the cinnamon's chest is much darker as is really the whole underside and it's a bigger bird, the illustration in Birds of Africa South of the Sahara is pretty poor, as the breast and belly is not nearly dark enough and doesn't really look darker than on the blue-breasted, it certainly doesn't look like the birds in my photos.  

 

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater

 

The blue-breasted is only really dark on the chest just beneath the blue/black band, if you look closely you can just make out the blue in @Galana's photo, more obvious and diagnostic is the white on the cheek, that's the real giveaway that it is blue-breasted, seen from the side like that, you don't have a great view of the underside, so you can be forgiven for thinking they could be cinnamon. 

 

Blue-breasted Bee-eater

 

So, definitely blue-breasted Bee-eater.

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, inyathi said:

So, definitely blue-breasted Bee-eater.

Yes and Galana's Law works once more in Dutch, French, German Norwegian and Swedish as well as English. Only the Spanish opt for the Latin and translate it as the Variegated Bee Eater.

I did realise @mvechtwas luring you to Cinnamon Chested and his Geographical 'Mountain' but steered you clear by referring to the 'Foreign' names for Little BeeEater which used Dwarf and Pomeranian.

As @inyathisuggests the blue in some lights can look black but in other lights it is bright blue. Being the same size as 'Little' the best ID is of course the white cheek stripe which I was careful to ensure was visible. The Blue-breasted  and Cinnamon-chested are best split by reference to altitude. CC is a bird of the mountains so if you are down in the Papyrus it is odds on BB.

So whilst no doubt engrossed in seeking out your Shoebill in the Papyrus of Uganda do take a hard look at those BeeEaters before you tick them off as 'Little'.

In passing a 'like' for Rob's links to BeeEaters which I was quite unaware of until now and must take time to re-visit for a longer read.

Baton goes to Martin @Soukousas Michael @mvechtfumbled the handover when the gun went off.:P

Not certain where @janzinfinished up.

Edited by Galana
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