GAME: name that bird!

[Bugs]

Sorry - dropped this photo before I went away..

 

Isn't it a female black cuckoo shrike.. It is one bird that really had me confused.

[Soukous]

another trick question..

what is this?

 

[michael-ibk]

African Golden Oriole?

[Soukous]

African Golden Oriole?

 

Nope .. it's much more sneaky than that.

[DaveM]

Sorry - dropped this photo before I went away..

 

Isn't it a female black cuckoo shrike.. It is one bird that really had me confused.

Yes you are correct. Sorry, I did not look that up properly!

I have seen males but never the female and I assumed it was a juvenile.

Lovely birding in SA at the moment!

[JohnT]

Swambo reckons it's a Juvenile Violet-Eared Waxbill

[Soukous]

Swambo reckons it's a Juvenile Violet-Eared Waxbill

 

nope - much more sneaky than that

[kittykat23uk]

My guess is red-headed weaver.

[Soukous]

My guess is red-headed weaver.

 

Darn it Jo, you've done it again.

I'm beginning to think that you've hacked into my computer @@kittykat23uk. Has @@BigBaldIan been up to mischief?

 

Yes, it is a female red headed weaver

The male would have been much too easy.

[kittykat23uk]

LOL! Nah I am on my phone

[mvecht]

Lets see if we can get the ball rolling again.

[marg]

@@mvecht....Lesser Jacana?

Edited February 8, 2015 by marg

[mvecht]

@@marg

 

correct: Lesser Jacana aka Little Jack near Kwara Camp Botswana.

Your turn to post a picture.

[marg]

okay.....

[Soukous]

At first glance that looks like a dark or black capped bulbul

[wilddog]

@@marg is Soukous correct?

 

As we have so many new, enthusiastic and knowledgeable birding members, it might be worth resurrecting this post.

 

 

Quoting @@Jochen who started this thread

 

'One rule: if you got it right, you're next to post an image of a bird (if it's not your own, get one off the net, but please obtain the copyright holder's permission beforehand, and put a copyright-tag!)'

[Tom Kellie]

@marj is Soukous correct?

 

As we have so many new, enthusiastic and knowledgeable birding members, it might be worth resurrecting this post.

 

 

Quoting @@Jochen who started this thread

 

'One rule: if you got it right, you're next to post an image of a bird (if it's not your own, get one off the net, but please obtain the copyright holder's permission beforehand, and put a copyright-tag!)'

 

~ @@wilddog and @@marg and @@Soukous

 

When I first read this, some months ago, I made no post as I lack adequate experience in identifying African bird species.

What @@Soukous mentioned, Black-capped Bulbul, or Pycnonotus melanicterus, is a Sri Lankan endemic species.

By contrast, when I saw the image in @@marg's post, I thought of Pycnonotus barbatus, Common Bulbul, which I've photographed in Kenya as recently as two months ago.

I make no claim for accuracy, as goodness knows @@Soukous has substantially more experience than I do.

I'll be interested to know what it actually is.

Thanks, @@wilddog, for giving new life to this topic!

Tom K.

[marg]

@@Soukous...right you are. It is a black-capped bulbul at Pamushana right above our much too cold plunge pool. Sorry that I missed the answer from so long ago.

[marg]

We actually had two types of bulbuls. One, in the photo the black-capped and also the yellow-bellied. They were around the camp so we saw them often. The areas and in Zimbabwe where these birds are also agrees the Sasol bird app as well as Newman's bird book. The camp people also identified them for us. Still open for correction.

[wilddog]

I think the most commonly used English name for this bird in Southern Africa is Dark Capped Bulbul = Pyctanus tricolor. They may use differing English names in different places and certainly in some references it refers to the same bird as the Black-eyed Bulbul. All very confusing.

 

It is a subspecies of the Common Bulbul and in some references is referred to as Pyctanus barbatus tricolor so they are all closely related.

 

The Common Bulbul - Pyctanus barbatus you refer to@@Tom Kellie has a cream vent, where as the Dark eyed has a yellow vent.

 

The term 'black capped' is definitely an Asian bird.

 

This conversation shows just how valuable posting these images can be. I have certainly learnt a lot, so thanks @@marg for posting it.

 

@@Soukous your turn

 

He may be away on a trip some where as he has not yet responded.

[Tom Kellie]

~ @@wilddog and @@marg

 

Consider me better educated!

Thank you to both of you for straightening me out.

As @@wilddog, this particular thread has an educational function which is fun!

Even inexperienced knuckleheads like yours truly are able to eventually sharpen their mental pencils!

All of this is precious — where else would I learn and be taught by such gentle and considerate instructors?

I hope that my students may feel likewise about my lessons.

Many Thanks!

Tom K.

[Soukous]

You are correct @@wilddog, I have been away for a few days without a computer - what a pleasure!

 

OK, here's my mystery bird

 

 

I only just remembered to change the file name that would have made it too easy

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

Blue-cheeked bee-eater?

[mvecht]

Rainbow bee-eater?

[inyathi]

@@mvecht you just beat me to it, which is no bad thing as I don't have that many photos to choose from that I haven't posted recently.

 

@@Soukous I'm assuming that this is still worldwide birds and hasn't gone back to being purely African Birds so given your fondness for 'The Land Downunder' I'm also going to say rainbow bee-eater Merops ornatus?