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Unknown black bird in South Africa - Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (1 Viewer)

Ralph Timmermann

Active member
Good morning everybody,

I am currently archiving the images from an earlier trip to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and I seem unable to identify this elegant specimen with Newman's Birds of Southern Africa. I don't think it's a Forc-tailed Drongo (or is it?), I think it's too elegant to be a Black Crow, but too "strong" to be a cuckoo; then I was going for starling but could not find a match; and besides I cannot do anything with the two stripes on the wings near the shoulder. I am not sure about its size, but the thorntree may give an indication. So what can it be?

Picture taken on 16 November 2011 at about 5 pm in the Nossob Valley, roughly 10...20 km north of Twee Rivieren.

Thanks for helping me and best regards,
Ralph
 

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Is this the female?

Anteating Chat

Thanks again for the very quick answer!

Now, I have another one from the same area. In this case I thought it IS an Ant-eating Chat, but now I am no longer sure. Is this the female or a totally different species?

(I know the picture in flight is sub-standard, but I thought the white marks on the wings might be useful to see).

Thanks again and best regards,
Ralph
 

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  • Maybe__Ant-eating_Chat__f__2011-11-11_Twee_Rivieren__RTI23383vs.jpg
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Thanks again for the very quick answer!

Now, I have another one from the same area. In this case I thought it IS an Ant-eating Chat, but now I am no longer sure. Is this the female or a totally different species?

(I know the picture in flight is sub-standard, but I thought the white marks on the wings might be useful to see).

Thanks again and best regards,
Ralph

Same species indeed :t:
 
Thanks :)

And female indeed? Or just another male with different exposure (it's been 06:10h a.m., quite different light than for the first picture, and I guess neither bird nor photographer were fully awake then :)

Not sure about sex of that species, no book here and I didn't see them since many years.
 
Thanks :)

And female indeed? Or just another male with different exposure (it's been 06:10h a.m., quite different light than for the first picture, and I guess neither bird nor photographer were fully awake then :)

Never seen the species at all, but looked up; yes, the male is dark blackish-brown, the female lighter brown.
 
Is THIS a Fork-tailed Drongo?

Never seen the species at all, but looked up; yes, the male is dark blackish-brown, the female lighter brown.

I guess it's probably safe to assume that that early-mornig fluffy bird was the female then.

I realize though that I have a bit like an issue with small-to-medium-sized blackish birds in the Kalahari. Particularly I wonder whether these two are Fork-tailed Drongos or not. The tail is not nearly as nicely forked as Newman's claims it should be...

Thanks for helping me again,
Ralph
 

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I think both are Forktailed Drongos with somewhat abraded tail tips,
if i remember correctly squaretailed has a smaller, shortertailed look.
 
Additionally, Square-tailed Drongo does not occur in the Kgalagadi - closest range is about a thousand kilometres to the east.

True, Fork-tailed id only becomes a problem on the far eastern side, eg Kruger and futher south in KZN when comparing Square-tailed Drongo, and also the other cf species is Black Cuckoo-Shrike, which does not occur in the Kgalagadi
 
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