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Kaapsedraai, you must use a large slice of imagination to put this bird in a slot where it resembles anything in a birdguide as it is in transitional plumage. For now I leave you with that tip... just maybe you'll enjoy nailing the ID on your own steam with that tip... Your first impression was not too far off!

Thank you, Johan.

I abosulely love this answer, helping a lot but encouraging to learn more, like helping someone to fish rather than give him one fish that will only help for that one day, bravo!
I appreciate it is not suitable all the time.

@ Kaapsedraai. You don't by any chance have anymore pics of this individual by any chance?

Hint...check out the local clergy

Ross, unfortunately not as the only ones are from the same position.
I have tried to get more from other sides, but as I was in a hide and my view angle limited and the fellow had a mind of his own.

adrianp, I will consult the reception desk as well, maybe they might know something.

Kaapsedraai, are you still at "Anonimous" with that ID?

Clergy.... I was thinkning on the lines of cardinals and bishops

Now the hints are getting to be blatant!

No worries Kaapsedraai, @ Adrianp I was thinking Bishop, but none of them have a yellow Breast, unless I'm missing something?

Eish! That bird is still incognito!!??

YELLOW??

Try red instead... And imagine more of it!

I must be going color blind But that looks very yellow to me

The only possible bird then can be a Southern Red Bishop, but the color is putting me way off?

I'm sure once you have made up your mind the colour will come right too... You may or may not be colourblind, Ross, but you must remind yourself that you are looking at a photograph! Colours are frequently scewed in pix because of 100s of reasons...

Otherwise it will remain a yellow-breasted seedeater

Hello again, I've found some more birds on which I need some help.

First is a sparrow of which I thought it was grey-headed, but then with all the brown on the head and chest I started doubting again, can you confirm it is a grey-headed (jun?) or tell me what it is?

Bird 1 Hartswater area May 2012




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Second bird, again a sparrow, but this time I think it's cape sparrow, but then again, I can'tt find the colors/pattern this bird shows in my books....

Bird 2 (bird with orange chest) Hartswater area May 2012






Just to be sure, is this a Southern masked or a Village Weaver (I think Southern Masked)

Bird 3 Hartswater area May 2012






Birds 4 (not the same bird) Bethlehem May 2012



Thank you again!

Bird 1 is correct, grey headed sparrow.

Bird 2, the one with the orange breast behind the grey headed sparrow, and then behind the cape sparrows in the other picture is a bit of a mystery?? I know the sparrow family dust bathes a lot, and this can affect the colour of the breast, but I'm not sure a bird can find that much bright orange sand to bathe in. If it is just an orange dust bath phenomena, then I'd say it is another grey headed sparrow. The grey headed sparrows shown have a yellowish, rather than horn colour bill which is indicative of non-breeding winter colours and is not often shown in the bird-guides

Bird 3 is correct, southern masked weavers in non-breeding plumage.