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Hi All,

Agree with Marico Flycatcher and African Stonechat, but think the Cisticola is Rattling. Due to the head colouration and back markings. Anyone else agree/disagree with this one?

Barcud

Can anybody help please? Can't find any bird with these back markings.
North West, edge of town.

Tilandi, where exactly in the North West did you see this bird?

Sorry I see you said edge of town, I was just wandering if it was in some reserve? Could make it a bit easier to narrow down the specie..

In my mind I would say a juvenile, sub adult type Weaver perhaps...

Thanks for trying Dot Dan It was amongst sparrows,weavers, finches and even Black-Throated Canary (lifer)

Taken in KNP during Dec.

Hi
Please dont ignore Tilandi's pic above : a question from the ducklings:

Is there any clear identification features that can be used to distinguish the cistocola's from the warbler's or any helpful tips with this issue?

Hi Wingman, just scratching the topic, but in general I would say the best way is habitat and call.. After a while one starts to get an idea of the general "giss" between the two species.
I read a write up about this on another website and I will go look for it and post it here for you...

As far as Tilandi's pic goes, and with this I emphasize how difficult pipits can be, looks to me like an African Pipit. The light streaking on the chest and throat with the bold white eyebrow.

A good indication when out in the field and one comes across this type of specie is to look whether it is bouncing its tail like that of a Wagtail would. Pipits are known to do this and it is a good indication that you are busy looking at the pipit species and not a Lark.

Then I would say bring habitat and range into your next question, and you will see that it eliminates quite a lot of the pipit species found in Southern Africa which makes it then easier to look at the closer details such as Eye markings, Streaking, colour, back markings and size.

After looking at this pic again, I am going to correct myself and sommer change my species as well...

In actual fact I think that this might be a Sabota Lark. Look at the black stripe which runs from the bill to the eye then another stripe which instead runs down the cheek to make a half circle. Sabota's are also quite a common species within the KNP.

The african pipit also has a brown with yellow base on the bill where as the Sabota Lark is more brownish grey.

Looking at the back, one can also pick up that it is not as grey and buff as that of the African Pipit.

Hope this helps a bit... you see I got nice and confused with this one
If no one adds any more ID able pointers I will see if I can post something better tonight

Im just a duckling but don't think its the sabotal lark. the sabota got a stripe behind the eye.The line on the cheeck is not from the eye. I can be wrong

I do believe that Tilandi's photo is a Sabota Lark. Typically of the larks its head is large in relation to the body. Had its bill been closed, its thicker aspect would have been clearer. To me the "facial expression" of the Sabota is quite unique. This expression is formed by the shape and position of the white stripe above and behind the eye, the fairly large eye (compared to pipits) and the dark loral stripe.

Thank you Dot Dan, Louis Dreyer and Sterblan. Much appreciated

Sterblan, a pic with the bill closed

Hi Tilandi, yip that pic pretty much confirms that this is indeed a Sabota Lark

Thank you DotDan. I made an ID of this Lark back in 2005 and had it completely wrong.