Bryan: I've just been checking my World List - and see that Grey Cowled Wood-Rail is a synonym of Grey-necked - so I have seen that one!
Hi Halftwo,
Please allow me a bit of a thread drift. I think it might be connected to Garden lists.
The various authorities (Cornell and A.O.U. so far) have deemed that the “Gray-necked Wood Rail” is now two species, the “Gray-cowled Wood Rail” and the “Russet-naped Wood Rail”. To my knowledge this change has only occurred in the past year. That means you've seen one or maybe even both!
http://checklist.aou.org/nacc/proposals/comments/2016_A_comments_web.html#2016-A-6
https://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/gycwor1/overview
My local authorities say the area we are in has the Gray-cowled Wood Rail. The two species apparently don't overlap much.
Please don't think I am putting myself forward as an expert in Taxonomy, I am most certainly not, especially since genetics is now getting involved. I merely am reporting what the various authorities are now saying.
Its all very confusing for me as stuff keeps falling out the back of my brain all the time and these changes don't help matters.
For fun, here are my current paintings for the two (new) species. The painting of the individual on the branch by the water is the Gray-cowled Wood Rail, the other the Russet-naped Wood Rail. Very subtle differences in markings but there nonetheless.
Cheers,
Bryan
Hi Halftwo,
Please allow me a bit of a thread drift. I think it might be connected to Garden lists.
The various authorities (Cornell and A.O.U. so far) have deemed that the “Gray-necked Wood Rail” is now two species, the “Gray-cowled Wood Rail” and the “Russet-naped Wood Rail”. To my knowledge this change has only occurred in the past year. That means you've seen one or maybe even both!
http://checklist.aou.org/nacc/proposals/comments/2016_A_comments_web.html#2016-A-6
https://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/gycwor1/overview
My local authorities say the area we are in has the Gray-cowled Wood Rail. The two species apparently don't overlap much.
Please don't think I am putting myself forward as an expert in Taxonomy, I am most certainly not, especially since genetics is now getting involved. I merely am reporting what the various authorities are now saying.
Its all very confusing for me as stuff keeps falling out the back of my brain all the time and these changes don't help matters.
For fun, here are my current paintings for the two (new) species. The painting of the individual on the branch by the water is the Gray-cowled Wood Rail, the other the Russet-naped Wood Rail. Very subtle differences in markings but there nonetheless.
Cheers,
Bryan
Wow! What a paintings! You can put those for any bird book... at least if it Birds of Tropic American or something like that.
I thought I was hallucinating this morning when three large finches flew past my window - quite low and close. I thought, "hmm Hawfinches - not possible."
I've just been out and seen another overhead a km away !
Now I'm convinced!!
71: HAWFINCH !!!!!!!
I can't believe it myself so if you don't I won't blame you !
Haven't seen one in years!
First proper frost overnight so it's back to windscreen scraping (or covering) :-C..
All the pumpkin and butternut leaves looked a bit sick as a result so we decided to harvest the lot (the pumpkins, not the leaves) I'm glad we did because as we walked out of the house a
82 Citril Finch
flew low over our heads, so they are on the move already. Later a flock of 7 Siskins paused in the leylandii 'tree' for a minute. Still a few Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Black Redstarts tarrying though so I'm looking out for any exotic fellow travellers (Yellow-browed warbler would be nice....).
No need to rub it in Ken!
Nothing exotic so far this week here
Sat in garden hoping for a Hawfinch, have to make do with.
92. Siskin
93. Common Snipe