Bolivia - ID help please (1 Viewer)

[David_]

Hello,

stumbled upon these photos from a trip to Bolivia a couple of years ago. Could you help me with the IDs? Probably common birds around there but I don't own a field guide for Bolivia (or anywhere in South America). All pictures where taken in April. Photos 1 and 2 were taken somewhere on the Altiplano, 3-5 at Lake Titicaca and 6-8 in the Yungas

Thank you

 

[THE_FERN]

Suggest:
1 & 2 hooded siskin
3 & 5 lesser yellowlegs
4 pectoral sandpiper
6 & 7 (southern) house wren
8 rufous-collared sparrow

 

[JWN Andrewes]

First one looks more like a Sierra Finch. Female Black-hooded?

 

[Andy Adcock]

First one looks more like a Sierra Finch. Female Black-hooded?

My instant reaction to that one too.
I think though, based on clouration of underparts and what we can see of the back being greenish, it's most like Peruvian?

 

[THE_FERN]

My instant reaction to that one too.
I think though, based on clouration of underparts and what we can see of the back being greenish, it's most like Peruvian?

I agree it could be a Sierra finch. However, I'm not seeing a whitish vent area. If it is, black-hooded looks a much better bet to me

 

[Andy Adcock]

I agree it could be a Sierra finch. However, I'm not seeing a whitish vent area. If it is, black-hooded looks a much better bet to me

Based on what, it's the wrong colour?

It's not a Siskin, it has a malar stripe?

 

[THE_FERN]

Based on what, it's the wrong colour?

It's not a Siskin, it has a malar stripe?

(This is a rough and ready reply)

Wrong shape (too elongate not portly), wrong bill (too thin) but especially wrong colour (hood in pic v dark, not grey). I don't see a malar stripe.

 

[Andy Adcock]

(This is a rough and ready reply)

Wrong shape (too elongate not portly), wrong bill (too thin) but especially wrong colour (hood in pic v dark, not grey). I don't see a malar stripe.

Definitely has a malar stripe, a weak one and an eyebrow too, this looks spot on for a female Peruvian Sierra Finch as depicted in the new Bolivia guide. Black-hooded is far more orangey underneath rather than yellow.

 

[THE_FERN]

Definitely has a malar stripe, a weak one and an eyebrow too, this looks spot on for a female Peruvian Sierra Finch as depicted in the new Bolivia guide. Black-hooded is far more orangey underneath rather than yellow.

OK: now looked on a computer cf mobile screen. I agree there is some faint pattern on the first pic but I see nothing on the second. I cannot make what I see into this:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/photo/193906961

or this:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/photo/100807271

I might make it into something more like this:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/83724441#_ga=2.226692319.354587405.1615752684-506611043.1615752684

[Note that the headline Macauley /ebird male photo is clear yellow underneath, not orangy. Immatures are paler. I think the OP birds are immatures.]

I don't remember having seen black-hooded sierra-finch. I've seen loads of Peruvian and this isn't one for me. Note the bill in all the Peruvian images I've linked is v different to the OP.

 

[Andy Adcock]

I might make it into something more like this:

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/83724441#_ga=2.226692319.354587405.1615752684-506611043.1615752684

[Note that the headline Macauley /ebird male photo is clear yellow underneath, not orangy. Immatures are paler. I think the OP birds are immatures.]

I don't remember having seen black-hooded sierra-finch. I've seen loads of Peruvian and this isn't one for me. Note the bill in all the Peruvian images I've linked is v different to the OP.

But that is clearly brownish underneath, not yellow as Peruvian?

 

[David_]

Thanks for all the replies.

Interesting discussion about black-hooded vs peruvian. After looking at a lot of photos on ebird I tend to believe it‘s a peruvian but that is just based on „feeling“ (and that is not the best way to judge 😉). For me it looks quite similar to https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/179284011 or https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/236703181 but I am still new to birding and not familiar with South American birds

 

[THE_FERN]

Thanks for all the replies.

Interesting discussion about black-hooded vs peruvian. After looking at a lot of photos on ebird I tend to believe it‘s a peruvian but that is just based on „feeling“ (and that is not the best way to judge 😉). For me it looks quite similar to https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/179284011 or https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/236703181 but I am still new to birding and not familiar with South American birds

Your pics your choice.

However, please note that both these birds have different bills to yours. Yours appear all dark, or if we are being generous the first might show a slightly paler lower mandible. The two you've linked to (Peruvian) show either lower clearly pale or both fully pale mandibles. In the field this is one of the stand out characters of Peruvian. If the first of your birds is younger and the second older, I would certainly have expected that the latter would be showing some evidence of a pale bill. [Adult female would also show the pale mandibles.]

 

[David_]

If I remember it correct it is the same bird in both pictures (Also checked the time stamp of my photos, both were taken just 1 minute apart and it is the exact same location the bird is sitting).
Thanks for the explanation about the bill. I was not aware of the difference.
So now I‘m completely unsure which one it is. But that‘s fine for me, at least I got some more experience in looking at details for identifiying (and IDs for the other photos).

 

[pbjosh]

Agree with the other IDs and the debated bird is absolutely a Sierra-Finch. I am not sure I'd venture to name it to species on these photos. I have seen a lot of individuals of both species, though it's been a couple of years since I've seen Peruvian. In the field when you mix in juveniles and worn birds, there is more variation in this group than field guides perhaps suggest. However, Peruvian and Black-hooded are mostly separable on range in Bolivia, if you can sort out fairly specifically where the photos were taken, you'd like get a pretty definitive answer.

 

[David_]

However, Peruvian and Black-hooded are mostly separable on range in Bolivia, if you can sort out fairly specifically where the photos were taken, you'd like get a pretty definitive answer.

The photo was taken in a small rural village near Ayo Ayo (Ayo Ayo - Google maps) where we visited a agricultural development project.