Recent content by pietrod

Hi all, I took these (horrible) pics today (5th May) in the vicinity of Paarl, North of Cape Town. I cannot make up my mind between African Goshawk, Red-breasted Sparrowhawk and Little Sparrowhawk. I have little experience with them and field guides did not help me much There is a character in...

Hi all, I read in several sites that the Pin-tailed Whydah and the Scaly-breasted Munia have been added to Cat-C in Portugal. E.g.: https://www.bubo.org/en/Forum/10-general-discussion/1366-additions-to-the-ioc-western-palearctic-list.html...

Thank you again Andy! I do not remember it fanning its tail but I admit that I rushed away (I do not like being near nests, even though this one was along a board walk). As a general impression it somehow give me more the Ashy impression but maybe someone used to see them could confirm... It...

Thank you Andy, I think that the loral area is very difficult to judge! Check for example these pics http://www.buckhambirding.co.za/wp/?page_id=3303 Some of the individual have grey loral area but certainly are Ashy! Can you spot any other useful features?

Pictures from the 5th of Jan. 2019 in North-East South Africa (Mkhuze). It was pointed to me by another birder as a Blue-mantled crested flycatcher. But looking at the pictures (and now that I got some experience with the south african birds of that area) it is for sure one between Ashy and...

Thanks Larry for the heads-up! Thanks Andy for your knowledge. Just to be sure I understand you correctly. The ssp of Africa Yellow white eye (now Southern yellow white eye) present in St. Lucia South Africa would be very brightly uniformly yellow on the belly. Therefore, the birds I saw were...

Thanks a lot for the help!! I did not know about the rump. I found the three species (including purple banded) quite difficult to ID. They give brief views often in terrible lights and their song is quite similar! I think the available guides do not do a very good job on sunbirds. I will...

Hi Andy, Thanks a lot for your insights. I want to specify that the bird in the light is always the same. My initial thought was also Cape white eye but then looking at pics on-line (see below) you can see that the belly is not always so bright and there is often some contrast with flanks and...

Hi Andy, Thanks for your message. I think that how broad is the band is not a good character (despite the figure in some guide) Look at these Neergards: https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/22221699449 http://www.stellenboschbirds.com/sun7.html Or this Mariqua...

Pics taken in Mkhuze N-E South africa the 3rd of January. I cannot make up my mind between neergard's and Mariqua sunbird. I upload the same picture twice with different exposure to show the bill length and the breast band color, supposedly the 2 diagnostic characteristics. Thanks a lot for...

Pictures (bad) taken at St. Lucia in N-E South Africa where both african yellow and cape white-eye occur. The latter occurs with the ssp. virens. Looking at pics on-line and reading guides I cannot find a definite feature to distinguish the 2. Any help? Pictures from jan the 7th 2019, birds...

:t: In the middle east, right?

Thank you for your comment Andy! The long billed pipit is a complex species with distinct morphology across the distribution range... The population of South Africa might even be recognized soon as a distinct species. In fact, a recent study (Multi-locus phylogeny of African pipits and...

End of October, Golden gate highlands national park (SA) c.ca 2400 meters high, highland plain but not far from a rocky slope. Very Pink bill base (exclude African pipit) but the back is not as marked as I would expect for mountain...I am puzzled. Unfortunately breast markings are not fully...

I post it here hoping for south african expert opinions End of October, Golden gate highlands national park (SA) c.ca 2400 meters high Very Pink bill base (exclude African pipit) but the back is not as marked as I would expect for mountain...I am puzzled. Unfortunately breast markings are not...