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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

ID Golden Oriole? (1 Viewer)

Hi Michael - Fancy bumping into u: remember me from Millfield House, Jesmond Dene?
The most striking feature of the mystery bird was its bright red eye! If I remember correctly the bill was slightly downcurved! It was also flying from bush to bush by the side of a lagoon. [Black-winged stilt and Greenshank were there every day.]
 
eric nicho said:
.... The most striking feature of the mystery bird was its bright red eye! If I remember correctly the bill was slightly downcurved! ...
Click to expand...
A strikingly noticeable bright red eye makes it sound far more like an African Golden Oriole than a Eurasian (whose eyes look more brick-red to me). Still not happy about the grey-blue bill though. Was there any spotting or streaking through the throat/breast?

helenh
 
There was streaking on the breast I think. The bill was definitely greyish blue not pink or red. .[?]
Incidentally my Heinzel/Fitter has blackbird and GO only half an inch difference! [10 & 9.5 respectively]
 
If it's a GO then the streaking on the breast and lack of pink bill would indicate a sub-adult male - but I still don't like the bright red eye for Eurasian (but I'm not an expert - I've mainly seen them in Kenya where they're a migrant in both late Autumn and early Spring). Being used to seeing them alongside African Golden Orioles which have a really striking bright red eye may be confusing me!
 
eric nicho said:
Hi Michael - Fancy bumping into u: remember me from Millfield House, Jesmond Dene?
The most striking feature of the mystery bird was its bright red eye! If I remember correctly the bill was slightly downcurved! It was also flying from bush to bush by the side of a lagoon. [Black-winged stilt and Greenshank were there every day.]
Click to expand...
Hi Eric,

Hadn't realised it was you, Eric's a common enough name so I didn't make the connection . . .

Been out birding all day today, only just got in to find over 150 new posts to plough through

Michael
 
I take it the bill was definitely that colour originally, and was not just dirty/stained? not meaning to cast any aspersions on your observations Eric, just I often see blackbirds etc that have been eating berries with odd coloured bills.
 
helenh said:
If it's a GO then the streaking on the breast and lack of pink bill would indicate a sub-adult male - but I still don't like the bright red eye for Eurasian (but I'm not an expert - I've mainly seen them in Kenya where they're a migrant in both late Autumn and early Spring). Being used to seeing them alongside African Golden Orioles which have a really striking bright red eye may be confusing me!
Click to expand...

Im coming round to the idea that it was a weaver: but the only one in my Birds Of Gambia which is a possibility is village weaver.
 
Ashley beolens said:
I take it the bill was definitely that colour originally, and was not just dirty/stained? not meaning to cast any aspersions on your observations Eric, just I often see blackbirds etc that have been eating berries with odd coloured bills.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty certain it was naturally that colour [but of course it's a possibility!]
 
eric nicho said:
Im coming round to the idea that it was a weaver: but the only one in my Birds Of Gambia which is a possibility is village weaver.
Click to expand...
If you're certain on the size (ie close to a Blackbird) then I'd be surprised if it was a Village Weaver - they're only about 155mm at max size. That said they're chunky birds which can look bigger than they actually are! Of course it could be an escaped cage bird - are weavers bred for size by cage bird fanciers?
 
Golden Oriole records from the Canaries are rare and tend to occur in March, April and May with the males appearing a few weeks before the females, at least on Fuerteventura (Aves del Archipelago Canario). The only winter record was from Tenerife in 1985.
 
helenh said:
Of course it could be an escaped cage bird - are weavers bred for size by cage bird fanciers?
Click to expand...

No, I have never heard of that... Anyway, how was the jizz (& bill shape)? Oriole versus Ploceus Weaver - we are talkin' two very different birds!
 
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