Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Uganda July 26 (1 Viewer)

[49bentley]

Can someone please identify these birds? Taken in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Uganda July. I believe 1 is a female Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird.
Thanks
Chris

 

[THE_FERN]

Sunbird isn't Ruwenzori double-collared: female of that is duller, darker. Looks like female variable to me

Are you sure second was at Bwindi?

Last is either black or Petit's cuckooshrike. I think probably former as I don't see greenish gloss (some indication of greenish gloss is foliage reflection I think)---but could be Petit's

 

[49bentley]

Thanks The Fern. All these pics were definitely taken at Bwindi.

 

[THE_FERN]

I think 2 must be female brown-capped weaver---even though it doesn't look much like a weaver in the photo

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Think I'd favour Petit's Cuckooshrike on the last one, although hard to be sure.

Would suggest female Baglafecht Weaver for the middle one.

 

[THE_FERN]

Think I'd favour Petit's Cuckooshrike on the last one, although hard to be sure.

It might be possible to distinguish them by carefully looking at the proportions. E.g. body tail length ratio

Would suggest female Baglafecht Weaver for the middle one.

I considered and discarded that one because of its yellow fringes to the flight feathers (not shown in op pic). Also, one of the photos shows a hint of the yellow on the back (=brown-capped)

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

It might be possible to distinguish them by carefully looking at the proportions. E.g. body tail length ratio

I considered and discarded that one because of its yellow fringes to the flight feathers (not shown in op pic). Also, one of the photos shows a hint of the yellow on the back (=brown-capped)

I wondered that but the pattern of black on the head doesn't seem extensive enough below the eye and the yellow on the mantle should also be more widespread for Brown-capped. I was wondering if the lack of yellow fringes might just be down to wear (or perhaps obscured by the quality of photo).

 

[Andy Adcock]

I wondered that but the pattern of black on the head doesn't seem extensive enough below the eye and the yellow on the mantle should also be more widespread for Brown-capped. I was wondering if the lack of yellow fringes might just be down to wear (or perhaps obscured by the quality of photo).

Has to be Baglafech surely, the only contender with a yellow throat but is has a very fine bill for that species?

 

[49bentley]

Thanks Andrew, The Fern, and Andy.

 

[Val35]

It might be possible to distinguish them by carefully looking at the proportions. E.g. body tail length ratio

I considered and discarded that one because of its yellow fringes to the flight feathers (not shown in op pic). Also, one of the photos shows a hint of the yellow on the back (=brown-capped)

Agree on Brown-capped instead of Baglafecht for the same reason + female brown-capped do have a yellow throat and Baglafecht have a striking pale iris.
Besides, after a little research, in this part of Uganda, it should be the stuhlmanni subspecies of Baglafecht weaver, which has a lot of yellow on the wings.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Agree on Brown-capped instead of Baglafecht for the same reason + female brown-capped do have a yellow throat and Baglafecht have a striking pale iris.
Besides, after a little research, in this part of Uganda, it should be the stuhlmanni subspecies of Baglafecht weaver, which has a lot of yellow on the wings.

Not in my book they don't, hooded, just like the male, separated most easily by crown colour? Agree it's not Baglafecht though, confusing bird for me.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/748934613024140188/

 

[Val35]

Not in my book they don't, hooded, just like the male, separated most easily by crown colour?

See those from eBird :

ML411446361 Brown-capped Weaver Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML411446361; © Doug Gochfeld; Western, Uganda

macaulaylibrary.org

ML411446281 Brown-capped Weaver Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML411446281; © Doug Gochfeld; Western, Uganda

macaulaylibrary.org

ML380690901 Brown-capped Weaver Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML380690901; © Josep del Hoyo; Western, Uganda

macaulaylibrary.org

ML466118471 Brown-capped Weaver Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML466118471; © Ted Floyd; Western, Uganda

macaulaylibrary.org

Not sure if it's a male or female thing actually...maybe subspecies or non breeding plumage. But my point is that they can have a yellow throat

 

[Andy Adcock]

I blame the book then, this is the plate from Birds of E Africa 2nd ed

 

[Val35]

I blame the book then, this is the plate from Birds of E Africa 2nd ed

My guess is that it is some kind of transitional plumage between juvenile and adult or simply non-breeding plumage, sometimes books don't show these.

 

[49bentley]

Thanks Val35 and Andy.

 

[Andy Adcock]

My guess is that it is some kind of transitional plumage between juvenile and adult or simply non-breeding plumage, sometimes books don't show these.

I was in Uganda and Rwanda a couple of years ago, none of the Brown-capped which we saw, looked like this bird.

 

[49bentley]

Thanks Andy.

 

[MacNara]

I Just looked over at the images on Macauley, and it seems to me that the birds from Kenya have the black throat, but the birds from western Uganda have the yellow throat. These are disjunct populations according to the book. Maybe these are subspecial differences not mentioned by the book, rather than an age difference? Birds of the World specifically states that the bird is monotypic, and has essentially the same illustrations (painted) as Birds of East Africa, even though the main photo at the top of the page shows a male bird with a yellow throat - from western Uganda. And of the two other photos on the top page one is a male with a black throat - from Kenya - and the other is a female with a yellow throat - from western Uganda.

Just a thought - I have no particular expertise.

As a side-note, at Rondo in Kenya in 2019, I ID'd a bird as Dark-backed / Forest Weaver without being able to see its back, partly on the clear yellow throat. Hmmm!

 

[49bentley]

Thanks MacNara.

 

[Val35]

I Just looked over at the images on Macauley, and it seems to me that the birds from Kenya have the black throat, but the birds from western Uganda have the yellow throat. These are disjunct populations according to the book. Maybe these are subspecial differences not mentioned by the book, rather than an age difference? Birds of the World specifically states that the bird is monotypic, and has essentially the same illustrations (painted) as Birds of East Africa, even though the main photo at the top of the page shows a male bird with a yellow throat - from western Uganda. And of the two other photos on the top page one is a male with a black throat - from Kenya - and the other is a female with a yellow throat - from western Uganda.

Just a thought - I have no particular expertise.

As a side-note, at Rondo in Kenya in 2019, I ID'd a bird as Dark-backed / Forest Weaver without being able to see its back, partly on the clear yellow throat. Hmmm!

I thought the same but found (very few) birds from Bwindi with black throats...

ML237115971 Brown-capped Weaver Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML237115971; © Jodi Webber; Western, Uganda

macaulaylibrary.org

ML360059831 Brown-capped Weaver Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML360059831; © Niall D Perrins; Western, Uganda

macaulaylibrary.org

But they are not the best pics so maybe it's indeed some local variation/subspecies.