Chilean Songbird (with real photos this time!) (1 Viewer)

[rylirk]

Strongly believe this is the same bird as https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=386845 , although it didn't sing this time. Based on the song last time, I was favouring either a Grassland or Greenish Yellow-Finch. Any thoughts? La Silla this evening, 2400m high desert on the Atacama/Coquimbo border.

I also have a short video of the bird at https://youtu.be/2VvhueAB9mo

 

[Jefferson Shank]

It looks like a Greenish Yellow-Finch to me. (beak shape fits better)

 

[rylirk]

Finally got some passable photos! Still good for Greenish? I'm just a bit nervous because this species flags on eBird

 

[RafaelMatias]

Those photos are quite good. I'm puzzled though. Bill shape is wrong for Greenish, and the grey mantle/scapulars seem to point to Bright-rumped only. However that species is out of range there and your bird lacks the grey cheeks of Bright-rumped (although a few isolated grey feathers can be seen on the rear part of the cheeks)... Hmm... Also, while Greater is in range, that species has no grey saddle.... I'll give it a rest for now.

 

[rylirk]

Anything there that would rule out Grassland? First time I saw it it was singing, and the song matches closest to either Grassland or Greenish imo

 

[RafaelMatias]

Anything there that would rule out Grassland?

More or less everything
The bird seems to be in moult (outer-most visible primary on the left seems old?), and if that is the case primary projection is not possible to evaluate correctly (it might have dropped some primaries).
This is either Greater, Greenish or Bright-rumped (I'm leaning Greater with a fresh body plumage, but this is just a guess for now, and probably a bad one). Wait for more opinions (pjosh should comment).

 

[rylirk]

I'm not sure how such things are decided but, if it helps, the only yellow-finches that wouldn't flag on eBird for this site are Greater and Grassland

 

[njlarsen]

I'm not sure how such things are decided but, if it helps, the only yellow-finches that wouldn't flag on eBird for this site are Greater and Grassland

Usually, a person with knowledge of an area is in charge of maintaining a filter for that area (size of that area can vary). That filter should contain information about those species usually occurring with number limits on how many you are likely to see. If a species is not on that filter, you will see the flag for providing information even if only one bird is recorded.

Niels

 

[rylirk]

Nobody else have any thoughts on this ?

 

[njlarsen]

I have now checked Neotropical birds online with especially checking the photos approved for Greater Yellow-Finch. They are very variable, so I do not think the above necessarily are outside of the range. However, I do not know this and the contenders well enough to say whether it is one for sure.

Niels

 

[jmorlan]

Greater Yellow-Finch for me.

 

[pbjosh]

Greater for me. Greenish vs Greater isn’t always easy but the photos are good and I don’t see anything to tricky here. Definitely not Bright-rumped and absolutely definitely not Grassland.

 

[pbjosh]

Regarding song comparisons, if you are browsing Macaulay, XC, or the like, try to look for recordings from central Chile. Sicalis tend to show a lot of regional and individual variation.