Red-billed Quelea (1 Viewer)

[L'argonnais]

Hello,

bird seen last month in Namibia , "closed" to Etosha ; 30 km south of Anderson Gate (Gate of the middle of the park)
I have spent maybe one hour (or still more ! ) , searching on the internet without any success which bird is on the picture of the crop. I expected it to be a Weaber or a canary ; did not find a picture like my bird.

I also checked all the possible bird of the region, even Namibia - no success neither !

and in fact , on the original picture , there are 3 Red-billed Quelea ; then I wonder if it is the same specy or not???? for me no; but I do not see any other ; and of course, I do not know that species. So maybe????

JR

 

[tconzemi]

Southern Masked Weaver female

 

[MacNara]

Open for discussion, but I think for Southern Masked Weaver female, the orange throat (clearly visible in L'argonnais' photo) is distinctive. It isn't shown in the Sasol guide, third edition, but I have a handwritten note in my copy to say 'orange throat', and although I don't remember the circumstances from a number of years ago, I don't make casual notes in my guides unless I have personal observation plus other reasons.

In fact, I think the Sasol third edition illustration of this bird seems to be seriously bad, because I also have a note that the female bill is pinkish (as in your photo) not grey or black (as in the illustration), that the eye is brown (as the guide's comments next to the illustration specifically says, although the illustration shows red), and finally that the yellow rump (which is huge in the illustration) would not be visible if the bird had its wings closed as in the illustration.

 

[L'argonnais]

OK thanks ; I would never have been able to identify alone !

JR