Bustard, Negelle, Ethiopia (1 Viewer)

birdboybowley

Well-known member.....apparently so ;)

• Mar 15, 2018

• #1

Taken on the Liben Plains last October, this was put down as a Black-bellied (which it probably is) but there's just a nagging doubt on it for me as certain aspects (hindneck colouration, obvious white chevrons on back, habitat) hint at Hartlaub's. Looking online pics seem to support both ids so a bit of a minefield - hoping someone here has field experience of the two. The buffy tint to the white feathering is down to the staining from the surrounding orange dirt that was also apparent on many other species in the area....any thoughts to put this to bed for me? TIA

 

tconzemi

Tom

Supporter

• Mar 16, 2018

• #2

A bit of a minefield indeed; the rather small dark centers on mantle would be one more Hartlaub‘s feature, which I think it is. Maybe Tib will pass by...

 

birdboybowley

Well-known member.....apparently so ;)

• Mar 16, 2018

• #3

That's what I was hoping too....cheers Tom :-O

 

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• Mar 16, 2018

• #4

Hartlaub's for me but, the only pro Black-bellied feature as far as I'm concerned, is the face pattern, which is not as black as it should be.

No idea if it's diagnostic and neither of you seem to have spotted it but, there also seems to be an eye colour difference, Bb has dark eyes, Hartlaub's has pale / yelllow eyes according to illustrations in Birds of the Horn of Africa though no mention is made in the text.



A

 

birdboybowley

Well-known member.....apparently so ;)

• Mar 16, 2018

• #5

Cheers Andy, face was an issue but looking at pics maybe it's blacker when breeding? Also the fact it was striding across an open short grassland has bothered me too

 

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• Mar 16, 2018

• #6

birdboybowley said:

Cheers Andy, face was an issue but looking at pics maybe it's blacker when breeding? Also the fact it was striding across an open short grassland has bothered me too

Click to expand...

Or it's an immature?




A

 

birdboybowley

Well-known member.....apparently so ;)

• Mar 16, 2018

• #7

andyadcock said:

Or it's an immature?

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Indeed.....the pic labelled immature male on opus looks very similar

 

Tib78

Well-known member

• Mar 16, 2018

• #8

birdboybowley said:

Looking online pics seem to support both ids so a bit of a minefield

Click to expand...

The fact that the first image you’ll stumble upon if you google «*Black-bellied bustard*» shows a nice male Hartlaub’s certainly doesn’t help! :-O

Your bird is indeed a clear-cut Hartlaub’s and some features, such as the chevrons and the reduced dark center to mantle feathers, have already been mentionned, but I’ll add two more: the tertials and inner greater coverts don’t show distinct black bars and the crown has obvious pale spotting.

There is considerable overlap in eye colour between the two but on this one the eyes are so pale they can be considered a strong pointer at least asI don’t remember seeing a Black-bellied with such a pale iris.

 

birdboybowley

Well-known member.....apparently so ;)

• Mar 16, 2018

• #9

Thanks Tib :t: