Ghostly Vision
Well-known member
To add to the general debate, I would largely agree with the others, and Greg puts a very succinct summary of the features.
In my opinion the only solid feature visible from the photo's is the primaries. Before I explain further, I think the lighting in both photo's (which I assume to be of the same bird, even though they look very different) shows how little use colour and shade are when i.d.ing from photos alone. That said, the flanks do show some buff on both photos.
There is little value here in colour, bill-length (to me, this is another very subjective feature, and can change appearance from different angles), or the step in the primaries (I agree with Greg on this feature - it does depend on the lie of the feathers). Hind claw - will bow to Greg's greater knowledge. Svensson gives only the formula >0.14 x bill + 5.6 = familiaris, with a < at the start for brachydactyla. Not much use here. The alula pattern, often a very good first feature to look for, is not clear.
That leaves us back at the primaries. The bird clearly (in the second photo) shows two closely-spaced primary tips, then a short gap (P10, 9 and 8), and these tips are clearly demarked, without the pale tip extending to the inner edge of these primaries. This is diagnostic of brachydactyla. An additional feature, perhaps not too clear here, is the presence or absence of a pale spot on P4, at the leading edge of the primaries in fornt of the "step". From this photo, the bird appears to lack this, thus again indicating brachydactyla.
Hope this helps
Sean
In my opinion the only solid feature visible from the photo's is the primaries. Before I explain further, I think the lighting in both photo's (which I assume to be of the same bird, even though they look very different) shows how little use colour and shade are when i.d.ing from photos alone. That said, the flanks do show some buff on both photos.
There is little value here in colour, bill-length (to me, this is another very subjective feature, and can change appearance from different angles), or the step in the primaries (I agree with Greg on this feature - it does depend on the lie of the feathers). Hind claw - will bow to Greg's greater knowledge. Svensson gives only the formula >0.14 x bill + 5.6 = familiaris, with a < at the start for brachydactyla. Not much use here. The alula pattern, often a very good first feature to look for, is not clear.
That leaves us back at the primaries. The bird clearly (in the second photo) shows two closely-spaced primary tips, then a short gap (P10, 9 and 8), and these tips are clearly demarked, without the pale tip extending to the inner edge of these primaries. This is diagnostic of brachydactyla. An additional feature, perhaps not too clear here, is the presence or absence of a pale spot on P4, at the leading edge of the primaries in fornt of the "step". From this photo, the bird appears to lack this, thus again indicating brachydactyla.
Hope this helps
Sean
