SANParks.org Forums

While reading through all the preceding pages with interest, I realised I had one that's been haunting me. But maybe for the LBJ section...





Any ideas?

Thanks JOL and RJ for the ID, so happy with our little G/H Kingfisher.
I did have it ticked as having seen one in one of the KZN Parks some years back but the 2 tone bill had me a bit confused with this one.
For Jock it was definitely a first time sighting.

Will post it on the forum.

Never mind the bill or even the head, Elsa. The orange/chestnut vent is the way to seperate it from similar kingfishers.

...the two-toned bill shows that this is an immature - adult birds have a unicoloured red bill.

Where and when did you see this bird? also in what habitat?

It is deffinatly a Warbler of sort but we would need to know where it was seen before we can get close to an ID. Also, did you hear it calling? if so what did it sound like?

Regards,

BM

Can anyone confirm whether the sunbirds are Marico or Purple-banded? Been wondering since November 07! Is the second one an imm. Spectacled Weaver? Both seen at Olifants. Thanks.

Could be a Marsh Warbler, but no books with me and not a warbler expert at all. Anybody else??

jacliz, I believe Marico and Purple-banded Sunbirds are rather similar, but I have never seen the latter. However, PBS can be ruled out on distribution - in South Africa it only occurs along the KZN coast I think. So this is a pair of Marico Sunbirds.

Thanks JoelR. I read somewhere that PBS do occur in Kruger so I was hoping! Thought they were probably Marico, though. Only ones I've seen anyway so it doesn't really matter

Sorry folks. I'm a bit of an idiot sometimes... The more you hear from me the more you'll see it rear it's stoopid head.

My "warbler" bird was spotted in Howick (near Pietermaritzburg, Natal), at the Crane sanctuary (Twitcher's delight). I'd consider it to me mroe or less open grass land. This picture was taken from one of the two hides overlooking the water. I'm afraid I didn't hear it sing...

BTW jacliz, GREAT pics

Hi Jacliz ,

I agree with JoelR that the sunbirds are probably marico - the bill a bit longer and more curved than purple-banded.

The other one looks like a red-headed weaver to me - spectacled has a distinctive pale eye.

Jon

Hi Skyjuggler ,

...absolutely one for the LBJ section! I don't dare to identify it from these pictures alone , but it certainly looks a lot like an acrocephalus-warbler. Could very well be a marsh warbler - as suggested by JoelR - though it is a bit unusual to see it sitting in the open in a tree like that.... - on its breeding grounds in northern Europe anyway!

Jon

Marico Sunbird Pair, and Red-Headed Weaver

According to Newman's for Kruger (translated from Afrikaans):

Looking at the distribution map its range seems to be from about N'wanetsi all the way south to the Crocodile river and as far east as maybe Tshokwane and then in a straight line down.
So it is not entirely impossible but I think yours is Marico. Bill seems to be a bit too long for Purple-banded. Front-on shot of the female might help even more to make sure.

Thanks RJ and Johann. I suppose they are Marico, but what originally made me think they could be PB was the fact that the female does not look at all streaked. She didn't turn around fully so couldn't get a front shot. It was literally the last light of day and at a quite a distance.