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Here's another confusing one! I saw these two birds in WCNP on 16 October 2007. I'm pretty sure that the one on the right is a Karoo robin, but the one on the left has me stymied!




The bird on the left looks quite similar to the one on the right — except for that rufous tail! My first guess would be neddicky, but it has dark legs and it's too large. So my next guess is perhaps familiar chat — except for the eyebrow .... ? Can anyone help me with this one?

Looks pretty god for Karoo Scrub-Robin to me. I wouldn't worry too much about the appearance of a rufous tail. The lighting on the bird is mostly from behind and there are even some blown out highlights on the tail. You can always expect colour anomalies when photographing a bird in such light.

Thanks, deefstes, glad to know about light causing such confusing variations I certainly thought that it "ought" to be just another Karoo robin. Sometimes reviewing my photos closely (well) after the sighting begins to raise too many questions

Stumped again! At first I'd thought that this was a lark or a pipit (partly because I first saw it on the ground), but it lacks a stripey breast and it has dark legs. So then I thought perhaps a prinia, but again, the dark legs, so now I'm wondering ... Only other guess might be Cape grassbird? See in West Coast NP, 3 December 2008.

Sorry arks, no time to check books and say something semi-intelligent about this bird. But it looks like a Karoo Scrub-Robin. Waddayathink?

Thanks, Joel! I knew that I was missing something obvious.

Pleasure arks Definately Karoo Scrub-robin...need to get to the Western Cape and do some birding...sooo many lifers!!!

A couple more that have me stumped, seen along the R407 north of Prins Albert (not sure whether this is considered Karoo or Klein Karoo?) on 6 October 2009. And also I had inadvertently — have NO idea how — set my camera for tungsten exposure, hence the "blue wash" on these pix

I'm thinking that this might be a Karoo robin, possibly a juvenile? altho the "edging" on the wings would indicate not?

White throat patch -- 100% on the Karoo Scrub-Robin

Arks
The shape and colour don't look right for Karoo Scrub-robin to me. All the ones I saw in WCNP always looked dull brown above, slightly paler below with a prominent supercilium with a blackish, white-tipped tail (the white tips are always a give away if it flies away from you) the tail also always appeared quite long. The jizz of your bird looks more like a Cercomela chat to me, short tailed with very long legs but I wouldn't like to say which one!

You should be able to remove the colour cast easy enough in photoshop and crop in a bit more to make the bird a bit more of a frame filler.

Added a couple of Karoo Scrub-robins from WCNP for ref.

Peter

Tricky arks

Photo 1 I would say certainly looks like Karoo Scrub Robin. Not as pale below together with the white throat patch.

I must admit that I only have Sasol 3 with me and I haven't seen these species for years, thus my recollection of flight gizz and wing patterns is sadly lacking.

Not that this help.

Hanno, many thanks for your detailed reply here. Because of the inadvertant tungsten setting I'm sure some details are distorted too.

Photo 1 is a Karoo Scrub-Robin.I am fairly certain of this.

Darker underside and white throat patch indicates the id of the photo.



Thanks JenB and DuQues!

Enjoy

Many, many thanks, Hanno, for your above-and-beyond efforts with my pix — and for your definitive ID.

Those were the last of my "mystery birds" from my recent trip, and I find that I have added another 11 lifers to my list