[Sumit]

Hi,
I disagree with the Id of Rizal's Wandering Whistling-duck. It looks very much like a Lesser Whistling-duck (D. Javanica) to me.
The URL is:
http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/...hp?photo=17826
I think it is best to have another look at this bird.
Regards,
Sumit

[alcedo.atthis]

Having noticed, and sorted out, the out of sequence photo's in Madge and Burn, ID guide to Wildfowl, I would agree that this is a "Lesser" not a "Wandering" plate 6a.

Malky

[cuckooroller]

Hi Sumit and Malky,
I just finished looking through all my photos of these two and I still can't decide if I got it wrong or not. You guys will have to help me out on this one. The javanica has those white-tipped upjutting feathers barely mentioned unlike arcuata. The bird in the photo looks like it has a white throat something that I haven't been able to find on any of my photos of javanica. Do both species have the greater wing coverts that rust-red color? I have found that only in a couple of photos of arcuata. The buff edge webbing of the mantle feathers is present in both though the lower mantle and scapulars tend to be darker in the javanica they both look black to me. Both have black primaries. You guys may certainly be right but I need someone to explain to me what exactly I have to look for in differentiating these two. One thing that I do notice in the bird of the photo is that it does not appear to have that kind of freckling on the throat and upper breast that I see in my photos of arcuata but rather a uniform brown color.

[alcedo.atthis]

Have a look at the upper tail coverts. "Wandering" "creamy sides to upper tail coverts". "Lesser" "chestnut upper tail coverts". Ther are other small differences, but the photo supplied is not to good at showing them. The Lesser's dark crown does not meet the eye, the Wandering's does.

A photo search on www.altavista.com shows some "Wandering" with the tail feature quite well.


Regards

Malky

[Sumit]

Hi Steve,
Let me admit that I have never seen Wandering Whistling-duck, but by the same token I have seen thousands of Lesser and this bird fits Lesser like a glove. I have one image of Lesser posted at:
http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/...cat/all/page/2
showing the white throat. The attached would show the extent of rust on the wings.
The images of Wandering that I saw last night reflect a more darkish crown and forehead and white rump feathers. The nape and throat were also speckled. Maybe Rizal can also throw some light. By distribution Lesser should be the bird in the area he describes.
Cheers!
Sumit

[cuckooroller]

You have both convinced me. With these useful indications I can see also javanica now. I'll have to chalk it up to not having useful diagrams for the species and relying too much on my photodatabase. Thanks to both!