SANParks.org Forums

Challenge #28

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#3 Rustenburg area

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Enjoy!!

Solution to #27

Again we had 17 participants…

#1 - Northern Pintail (m) (17)
#2 - Orange River White-eye (14): Peach wash on flanks make it unique from other White-eyes
#3 - Horus Swift (10): Confusing species Little Swift and White-rumped Swift are eliminated as possibilities by the forked tail and broad white rump respectively.
#4 - Village Weaver (14): Completely yellow forehead
#5 - Mountain Wagtail (16)
#6 - Woolly-necked Stork (16)
#7 - Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling (14): Two distinct rows of wing spots, royal-blue belly and flanks
#8 - Black Sparrowhawk (10): Mottled black thighs and white underparts, distinct black and white barring on underwings. Bare yellow legs. In this bird the upper wing does not show the white window well but with some imagination and innovative thinking one can detect an indication of the window, but it is slight. In order to see it well, the observation angle must be more perpendicular... The extent of the window also depends on the spread of the feathers. None-the-less, there is enough evidence for an ID.
#9 - Brown Scrub-Robin (12): Facial markings and diagnostivc white spots on wings and flight feathers.
#10 - Pearl-spotted Owlet (17)

It looks as if the tough ones scare 'mites off... I'll have to strike a better ballance!

Challenge #29

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Enjoy your weekends boys and girls!

Results for challenge #28

We had 11 'mites that submitted answers.

#1 - Grey Penduline-Tit (8): lack of black forehead (plain buff) eliminates Cape Penduline-Tit
#2 - Olive Thrush (7): the black nostril region at the top of the beak is diagnostic
#3 - Brown-crowned Tchagra (9): the clue “seen in Rustenburg area” made this one easy as on distribution the Southern tchagra that is difficult to tell apart from the BCT, is eliminated.
#4 - African Black Swift (2): Nest site was a hint (the nest itself was just being started so that materials used are not yet part of the visual clues). The lighter trailing edge of the wing is the biggest clue, though.
#5 - Amethyst Sunbird (f) (2): only the female Scarlet-chested and the Amethyst sunbird show a fairly distinct bib. The Amethyst fem is also the only sunbird with a discernable eyebrow
#6 - Burchell’s Starling (5): tail “stiff”, short and rounded
#7 - Streaky-headed Seedeater (9): Distinct white eyebrow with black-and-white streaking on crown
#8a - African Snipe (10)
#8b – Ruff (7): Ruffs vary greatly in appearance… the scalloped look of its feathers together with the slightly curved, medium length bill are diagnostic. The snipe provides a nice size comparison.
#9 - Collared Pratincole (4): sub-adult as the throat is still mottled where the black collar will eventually encircle its yellow throat patch. The thin black line running down the throat from the corner of the red gape is diagnostic. There is a hint of red showing on the leading edge of the wing. The bottom half of the white eye-ring is more prominent than in black-winged pratincole.
#10 - African Cuckoo-Hawk (m) (9)

Not so!

The solutions to Challenge #29

#29 was NAILLED by the ‘mites! Only two birds deserve to get an explanation. The rest you annihilated!

#1 - Yellow-billed Kite (14)
#2 - Cape Rock-thrush, fem (14)
#3 - Lesser Kestrel, fem (10): Too light in colour to be confused with rock kestrel or greater kestrel. A nice feeling of size is achieved with the telephone poles as perch.
#4 - Pallid Harrier (15)
5# - Jacobin cuckoo, melanistic form (14)
6# - Grey-headed Kingfisher, sub-adult (16)
7# - Grey-headed Parrot, male (8): Most ‘mites battled a bit here. The grey head with the red forewing is a dead giveaway. The hint of a red fore crown indicates that this is a female. If you know your trees, the Maroela is a good clue to get an indication of the area.
#8 - Harlequin Quail (16)
#9 - Village Indigobird (14)
#10 – Red-billed Fire-finch (15)

It has been a tough week for me. Please be patient, #30 is on its way

Challenge #30

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Rather late than never!

Anita, thanks for not joining the "hurry-uppers"

Ok Birding Mites.

Herewith the answers to #30.

#1 – Spotted flycatcher
#2 – Great Spotted Cuckoo
#3 – White Backed Vulture & white headed Vulture - the white backed has a dark eye whereas the Cape has a yellow eye. The White Headed is a sub adult and therefore still have some brown on its head.
#4 – Lesser Grey Shrike
#5 – Wahlbergs Eagle – distinguished by its dark eye and gape ends before the eye
#6 – Barn Swallow
#7 – Comb Duck, Reed Cormorant, Woolly necked Stork
#8 – Lesser Moorhen
#9 – Burchells Starling - Once again the rounded tail is the giveaway.
#10 – Magpie Shrike

Now lets hope we can convince some one to take over.......

Challenge 31 live NOW!

Just some admin first. Could you please PM your answers to the one who posts the challenge. So this week to me, and next week to Moegaai.

Bird Challenge #31

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#3 – Seen in Kruger

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Challenge 32 starts a bit early as there are more than 10 birds to id

Please note that I am again doing this challenge , and Moegaai will then do the one after - So please PM me.

answers to 31 will be posted tomorrow morning

Challenge 32:

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Here are the answers to no 31.

I am glad to say that Johan lives on in this thread by the term "johanism" being used (AKA a sneaky little ploy to mislead and confuse)

All I can say is that we learnt from the master himself

I thought i had all caught out on number 2, but the very last entry finally had it right


Challenge 31
#1 Black-throated Wattle-eye (19)
#2 Yellow-throated Petronia: Broad buff eyebrow (narrow in front getting broader to back, two pale bars on wings. Could easily have been a House Sparrow (f), but then no distinct two bars on wings and eyebrow is narrow. The angle of the photograph with the strong morning light made this one very difficult (1)
3. Chinspot Batis (m): No mottled white on back eliminates Pale (m). From pic could also have been Pririt (m), but giving the place of the sighting gives it away. (17)
4. Barn Swallow (imm): Rufous forehead and throat, going into black chest-band (brown in imm) with white belly makes this unmistakeable. (18)
5. Wood Sandpiper: Olive-grey back with spotting, distinct eyebrow and yellowish legs. (18)
6. Yellow-bellied Greenbul: From GISS says Bulbul more than weaver. Yellow belly with RED eye and WHITE eye ring. (12)
7. Bennett's Woodpecker (m): All-red crown with red malar stripe and clean white cheeks, with a bit of black spotting on chest.(18)
8. Kittlitz's Plover (juv): Difficult one!!! But the white eyebrow that extends down to the neck and joins there is diagnostic. The lack of the black markings points these being juv. (6)
9. Double-banded Sandgrouse (m): The conspicuous black and white stipes across the forehead. (19)
10. White-browed Sparrow-Weaver: The broad white eyebrow with BROWN cheeks and black malar stripe (19)

Based on the average scores of all the particiants i have also calculated a difficulty ranking for the challenges, where 1 is dead easy and from 3 onwards it is difficult to impossible!

this one was a 2/5 - thus moderate

Hi Imax. Excuse me for being a lurker and not a participant. You (and in the past JvR) are doing a great job!!


Are you sure, but it doesn't look like a YT Petronia at all? Bill color, facial pattern and shape of tail seem all wrong. Have you considered a non-breeding male or female Long-tailed Widowbird? [EDIT: This dumbo meant LONG-TAILED PARADISE-WHYDAH. See discussion below. ]

Hi Joel,

If you're not participating, you're not allowed to comment!!!

I believe Imax is very busy today, so sorry if I steal your thunder on this one Imax!

Getting serious, this pic was taken by Imax on Crake Road at Zaagkuildrift, on 21 Feb 2009 (in my presence!). It definitely was a YTP. We both concede that this pic is very misleading and maybe a bit too difficult for the challenge!

BTW, it was too small to be a LTWB (but impossible to determine size from this pic), and thinking about it, I have never seen one there in three trips this summer...

So, you confessed you're lack of participation - WHY???

No, not a widowbird off course... sorry, I meant female LONG-TAILED PARADISE WHYDAH!!!
(Still don't think it's a Petronia, which has a broad eyestripe in a uniformly colored head. The little C-shape on the cheek is a good indication for the whydah and the bill seems to dark for a petronia too.)

Here are some pictures of Yellow-throated Petronia and this is the pica from the challenge.

Joel, a good call on the LTPW! BUT... All LTPW's that I've ever seen, including females and non-br males, had a LOT more bold, black cheek markings, and black crown streaking. We did see LTPW at Zaagkuil, so your call is a good one, but no, I assure you this one was the YTP! PROMISE!!!

BTW, the facial markings you are seeing are also a bit deceiving, not sure if some of the facial feathers are lifted a bit with its head turned... It had the distinct white eyebrow with the dark eyeline extending from the back of the eye.

I think the early morning light and the angle of the pic simply made it very difficult to ID, but it really was the YTP in real life... Disguising itself as a LTPW just for you!