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Hey Mel123.......if you are getting stuck with #3 and #5 by chance ......the bill plays a key role in the identification........

Thanks, but with #3 you can't see the bill shape, so not much help. Unless I need glasses. I've figured out what to guess, finally, for what its worth.
#5 is ok (I hope), I'm terribly stuck on #2.

idem... #3
and the tiny tiny #1 *EDIT* #7

and I don't speak about the #2

6/8 for me. I don't know what no. 2 and 3 are. Maybe my problem lies with one of the others if I was lucky enough to guess no. 2 correctly. We will have to wait and see which ones it was.

I haven't done a challenge for ages - just don't seem to have time - but tried today. Managed a very respectable 7/8!! I will definitely try and do the challenge every week from now on - wonder how long that will last.

Hi all, just to say that I am away for a week, so I will be separated from my computer and bird guides. I will unfortunately not be able to attempt Waterbuck's challenge. Not an easy one though Waterbuck.
Good luck to all.

I managed 6/8 as a rookie in bird ID and must say I just could not ID nr3 at all .

7/8

...

but I thought I had them all this time! , so which one was wrong?!

Wonderful score Dabchick!!! Congratulations!

Hi there fellow Bird ID Challengers
I know the results of the last challenge should only be posted later today, but it has just passed midnight and and I have a full day tomorrow.........so here goes the answers for challenge #14

Thanks to all who submitted. In total I got 10 submissions (Dabchick, mel123, Ladybirder, anne-marie, barryels, PNF, Hippotragus, hilda, adrainp, davejenny). The average score for the challenge was a respectable 5,6 out of 8.
Were it not for the "@@&z @*x%" bird at #3, some of you would have hit full marks, but sadly nobody got 8/8. To be honest, I felt soooooo bad when I saw no right answers coming in for #3, that I have tried to provide some pixel-sized points in the answers below.

Either way - thanks again to all and happy birding

Bird #1 Immature Greenbacked Heron (also called the Striated Heron).
The main factor that would have got you to this answer are the prominent yellow lores, coupled with the yellow eyes. The whitish streaking is prominent on the chest and back.


Bird #2 Reed Cormorant.
Most people got this, but some were off the mark. The bill shape (and bare facial skin) should have got you to the cormorants. The red eye, lack of a crest and downward patterns on the lower mandible, should have narrowed this to the answer.


Bird #3 Purple Gallinule
This was the stinker. The heavy, short red bill was the key factor to consider. From this, some got to the Moorhen, but there is no yellow on the bill. The "upper plate" of the bill extends well over the eye and sits very prominently on the forehead. This coupled to the whispers of blue/purple iridescence on the neck (some say I am dreaming of pixel-sized dots ) would have got you to the answer.


Bird #4 Arrow-marked Babbler
Not many problems with this one. Buffy brown underparts with a little of the white "arrow marks" visible. The distinctive orange eye and body stance should have closed the ID.


Bird #5 Black Cuckoo
Many got this one, but there were a few answers off the mark. The slight "edge" pattern in the feathers with the white edges under the tail, coupled to the distinctive cuckoo bill should have bought the ID home.


Bird #6 Greater Striped Swallow
Most got this one, although some opted for Lesser Striped Swallow. The rufous head and high white cheeks (as opposed to rufous cheeks) together with the fine black stripes on the chest are the key elements.


Bird #7 Temmink's Courser
Most got this one. Once the bird has been singled out as a Courser, the broader black line up to the eye and the full rufous cap should have closed it down.


Bird #8 Bronze Mannikin.
All-round an easy one. From Roberts: head, throat and upper breast blackish, washed dull metallic green; back and wings greyish brown, rump barred black and white; tail black; rest of underparts white, barred blackish on flanks and undertail.

Well, well, well Waterbuck!! I would have lowered your score even further, so thank goodness I didn't have a real chance to have a good look!

And here I thought MY pictures of the gallinule were bad!! There was nothing in that photo that would have steared me in the right direction and I had your cormorant down as a baby eagle of some sort!

I suppose that this is called a "challenge" and it sure as dickens was! So very well done on stumping the team.

Thanks, Waterbuck (for what, I do not know ) Oh Well - if only...........had not changed 2 ID's at the last moment would have achieved a somewhat more respectable score!
Now.....what is in store for us next

Oh well, just got my answers in this morning, (Easter weekend here was hectic) and I see the answers are up already, but never mind, our team got 6/8 I think. No 2 and 3 we got wrong.

Thanks so much Waterbuck for this challenge, which certainly was challenging for some of them.

My very greatest sincere apologies to those people that still wanted to submit their answers for #14 today and for me jumping the gun by posting the answers just after pumpkin hour this morning. My only excuse is that I am a thousand miles from home and typing this apology on the forum while being linked to the internet with my cell as a modem......while siting in a business meeting.........

Early bird catches the worm.......

You do forum stuff during work hours