Unknown from Puerto Chacabuco, Chile (1 Viewer)

jmorlan

Hmmm. That's funny

Opus Editor

• Mar 3, 2015

• #1

Unsure of this one. 2 February 2015. Photo taken out window of vehicle. Austral Thrush is a possibility, but what to make of the apparent white bar and tertial fringes? There may be a second bird in the photo. Not sure. TIA.

Edit; original image with no post-processing other than cropping is added and is the 2nd image. There are no other images.

 

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Last edited: Mar 3, 2015

Peter C.

...just zis guy, you know?

• Mar 3, 2015

• #2

Yes, there is definitely a second bird in the upper-left, although I can't see much about it.

As to the subject bird, I think it does indeed look thrush-shaped, which (in those latitutes) most likely does mean Austral. I think the "white" areas are just highlighting.

Peter

 

njlarsen

Gallery Moderator

Opus Editor

Supporter

• Mar 3, 2015

• #3

On the subject bird, I think the white stripe and spots are genuine. I also think the bill is too short for Austral Thrush, but I do not have a good alternative in mind right now.

The second bird seems genuine but too unsharp for me to make any guesses.

Niels

 

dominic.patagonia

Well-known member

• Mar 3, 2015

• #4

There aren't that many possibilies in Pto Chacabuco. The small bird is, from size and overall color - probably black-chinned siskin. Am still pondering the other. But the angle it's holding its wing, and the fact that to me that white bar is a reflection are telling....

 

dominic.patagonia

Well-known member

• Mar 3, 2015

• #5

So i'm going to say juvenile austral thrush. The thick-based bill could be just from the angle or the photo?

 

nartreb

Speak softly and carry a long lens

• Mar 3, 2015

• #6

I know nothing about Chilean fauna, but in my opinion:
1) I don't see any wing stripe/spot
2) The photo looks "posterized" - processed in a way that gives bright colors and sharp borders at the cost of distorting both shapes and hues. It would be better to see the original photo before making any judgments about details like the bill shape.

 

jmorlan

Hmmm. That's funny

Opus Editor

• Mar 3, 2015

• #7

Here is a crop of the original with no other post-processing. I'll copy it to the original post. Is there any chance the 2nd bird is a Pagagonian Sierra-Finch with a branch in front of it? That's what it's starting to look like to me.

 

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dominic.patagonia

Well-known member

• Mar 3, 2015

• #8

Yes this is a better image - is this cropped at 100%? I see some grey but not much rusty color on the mantle which I'd expect to see for Patagonian SF. Color looks better for Grey-hooded SF. What kind of habitat were in you in? Both species occur in Chacabuco but on the drier side towards Coyhaique you'd find GHSF - Patagonian tends to stick to forest. Am not sure we can get this to species to be honest from the photo.

 

jmorlan

Hmmm. That's funny

Opus Editor

• Mar 3, 2015

• #9

Thanks. Yes, this is cropped at 100%; just a crop no adjustments. The original EXIF is embedded but the GPS didn't work so we can't get an exact location. I did not record Gray-hooded Sierra-Finch on my list for that day, but I did note 2 Patagonian. Maybe these are those birds? The habitat was mixed but we were much closer to Chacabuco than we were to Coyhaique when I took this picture. I was thinking the back bird might be a female. I'm still stumped by the front bird though. It seems to have streaking on the underparts. Maybe a juvenile Sierra-Finch? Are they streaked at all?

Edit: Found a fairly detailed description of the juv. Patagonian Sierra-Finch in "Birds of the High Andes" and other than the anomalous white wing markings, I think that's what the lower right bird is. It's yellow below with fine streaks and the face pattern looks very much like the illustration. I believe the upper left bird to be an adult female.

Thanks for all the help. Much appreciated. Other opinions still welcome.

 

Last edited: Mar 3, 2015

dominic.patagonia

Well-known member

• Mar 4, 2015

• #10

Yes based on location could be Patagonian then, especially if you saw others in same area. Whilst they're sympatric the typical habitats are pretty different. I don't think from structure and posture (mainly the way the wings are held drooped) that the main bird in the pic is a sierra-finch. Young austral thrushes show streaking / spots underneath. It's also bigger / further away no? But again, it's sometimes misleading just seeing one photo, I can only judge from that. Maybe I'm not see it right.

 

jmorlan

Hmmm. That's funny

Opus Editor

• Mar 4, 2015

• #11

My list for the day only had two Patagonian and I now believe these are the two I saw. I think both birds are the same size and the lower right bird has its wings held out because it is a juvenile begging. On my monitor the ground color of its visible underparts is pale yellow which is not right for juv. Austral Thrush, but is a good match for the plate and description of juv. Patagonian Sierra-Finch in "Birds of the High Andes." Face pattern showing faint pale eye markings are also consistent. I also think the bill shape supports a finch more than a thrush.

But this is a terrible and probably somewhat misleading photo. I could be wrong. My solution is to discard the photo. ||