Bahrain bunting? (1 Viewer)

AJDH

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2006

• #1

I took this picture today in Bahrain and can't fully identify it. Ignore the crest as it was quite windy and may have been caused by wind behind the bird.

http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/data/3206/33708AJ02505_800w.jpg

Thanks in advance.

 

JWN Andrewes

Poor Judge of Pasta.

• Nov 9, 2006

• #2

Looks like a female Weaver of some sort. Don't know if any such is indiginous to the area or if it would be an escape (if that is indeed what it is).

James

 

F

Fair Islander

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2006

• #3

AJDH said:

I took this picture today in Bahrain and can't fully identify it. Ignore the crest as it was quite windy and may have been caused by wind behind the bird.

http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/data/3206/33708AJ02505_800w.jpg

Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

Have you considered Rock Sparrow?

 

AJDH

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2006

• #4

Fair Islander said:

Have you considered Rock Sparrow?

Click to expand...

Yes but the picture in my field guide does not show as much yellow as the bird I photographed. It's worth considering.

 

F

Fair Islander

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2006

• #5

AJDH said:

Yes but the picture in my field guide does not show as much yellow as the bird I photographed. It's worth considering.

Click to expand...

check this picture

http://www.geocities.com/jviana_98/Petronia_petronia.jpg

 

AJDH

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2006

• #6

Fair Islander said:

check this picture

http://www.geocities.com/jviana_98/Petronia_petronia.jpg

Click to expand...

Thanks, it's looking more like a rock sparrow.

 

JWN Andrewes

Poor Judge of Pasta.

• Nov 9, 2006

• #7

Hi Fair Islander

not convinced the bird pictured in your link is a Rock Sparrow - should show eg. pale-tipped dark under tail coverts, much longer primary projection, dark bill with yellowish base to lower mandible, pale tips to tail feathers. I suspect your link shows another female Weaver!

James

 

TWM

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2006

• #8

JWN Andrewes said:

Hi Fair Islander

not convinced the bird pictured in your link is a Rock Sparrow - should show eg. pale-tipped dark under tail coverts, much longer primary projection, dark bill with yellowish base to lower mandible, pale tips to tail feathers. I suspect your link shows another female Weaver!

James

Click to expand...

I think James is right.

 

Joern Lehmhus

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2006

• #9

Hi AJDH and fair islander , both your birds are Euplectes weavers, probably the species Euplectes afer (Golden Bishop in english).

AJDH due to the black belly I think you bird is an male (in near full eclipse plumage), whereas the othe rmight be a female...

see following link

http://images.google.de/images?hl=de&q=female+euplectes&btnG=Bilder-Suche

best regards, Jörn

 

Gashead

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2006

• #10

Juv yellow crowned bishop? There's plenty of them breeding ferally in Dubai.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmuchaxo/188353968/

I think the other link is this sp. too and not a pale rock sparrow.

 

Gashead

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2006

• #11

Sorry, posted same time.

 

F

Fair Islander

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2006

• #12

JWN Andrewes said:

Hi Fair Islander

not convinced the bird pictured in your link is a Rock Sparrow - should show eg. pale-tipped dark under tail coverts, much longer primary projection, dark bill with yellowish base to lower mandible, pale tips to tail feathers. I suspect your link shows another female Weaver!

James

Click to expand...

James, yes, you're absolutely right - looking at it again a little more carefully there are quite a few things wrong for Rock Sparrow - also a good lesson learnt in not to trust everything on the web being labelled correctly.

 

AJDH

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2006

• #13

Thank you all very much, I'll edit the picture now. :clap:

 

TWM

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2006

• #14

That's nice we're all sorted on Yellow-crowned Bishop--RESULT!

 

AJDH

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2006

• #15

I've just found out that the Prime Minister of Bahrain has an island just off the coast from the farm where the picture was taken and he has hundreds of varieties of birds flying freely. With the recent winds, it's possible some have reached the mainland.

 

TWM

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2006

• #16

Any idea of species? So that when one turns up here as a first for the UK we might have some idea where it came from!

 

AJDH

Well-known member

• Nov 10, 2006

• #17

TWM said:

Any idea of species? So that when one turns up here as a first for the UK we might have some idea where it came from!

Click to expand...

Sorry I don't but I know a man who might know. If I see him today, I'll ask.

 

AJDH

Well-known member

• Nov 10, 2006

• #18

TWM said:

Any idea of species? So that when one turns up here as a first for the UK we might have some idea where it came from!

Click to expand...

I spoke to the man who knows and he says there are about 50 species but he does not know what they are.

 

lostinjapan

Well-known member

• Nov 10, 2006

• #19

There's only one wild species of weaver that breeds in Arabia and that is Ruppel's Weaver. I saw them many times in Jeddah, as they are common from the Hejaz, down to the Yemen, along the coastal plain. They also occur in Oman and some birds have established colonies in Riyadh.

It isn't that species, as the females basically lack a supercilium, and just have a pale yellowish wash to the otherwise buffy breast, with a light pink bill, with the mantle buffy with brown streaks, a buff rump, darker brown wings and tail.

The only other species that I know of that might fit the bill...is Streaked Weaver...which has established colonies from escapes in Egypt and Dubai..see pics below

http://www.pbase.com/clive_temple/image/68906619

However, knowing diddly squat about the large number of African species, except that the females are all pretty similar.. can't be sure it is that species so have to leave it up to the experts.