• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

help with bunting id (1 Viewer)

viator

Well-known member
Singapore
this bunting(s) was in the reeds around a pond in Shanghai, China today

Help appreciated
 

Attachments

  • bunting1.jpg
    bunting1.jpg
    58 KB · Views: 221
  • bunting2.jpg
    bunting2.jpg
    25.6 KB · Views: 277
You sure that the photos show the same bird? The one on the right (the dark one) is definitely a Black-faced Bunting, but the left bird looks like a Reed Bunting...
 
Charlie M said:
You sure that the photos show the same bird? The one on the right (the dark one) is definitely a Black-faced Bunting, but the left bird looks like a Reed Bunting...

Whether they're the same bird or not, i don't know. But they are both Black-faced Buntings. The combination of pale lower mandible and whitish submoustacial more prominent than supercillium rules out Reed Bunting.

All the best,
 
I also think the left one is BFB, but Charlie had sharper eyes! I belive they are two different individuals.
I´m not sure of which race of RB that occur in Viators area, probably one of the large-billed races (pyrrhulina?) with convex culmen and not especially well streaked below. If so, it doesn´t favour the subject bird, which has a paler lower mandible, a straight culmen, well streaked below, more prominent on the flanks. Lesser coverts not visible (rufous in Reed, grey-brown in Black-faced). Not so prominent supercilium in contrast to the more obvious submoustachial stripe also in favour of BFB. This is how it looks.

JanJ
 
Last edited:
Charlie and JanJ, It is entirely possible that they are different individuals as there are 2 1/2 minutes between the photos and it/they were constantly jumping in and out of reeds - with the hundred tree sparrows and couple of dozen light-vented bulbuls in the same little section of reeds it was hard to work out from the calls how many buntings there were, but it was definitely several at least.
 
Also at least according to the MacKinnon guide to China, the most likely RB race here would be minor. Also find the closely related Pallas' Bunting in the area
 
Warning! This thread is more than 18 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top