Doi Inthanon Female Sunbird - Thailand (2 Viewers)

[Danielibero]

Lately I am reviewing the photographs I took in Thailand in the 2019 December, and are comming to me some dughts about the identification I did. Therefore, I going to put several post. I hope you can help me.

This first one is about two (I think they are two differents birds, but I don't quite remember) female sunbirds that I identified as Mrs Goulds Sunbirds. However, looking in the eBird list for Doi Inthanon (I don't have any Thailand birds guide) they could also be a Green-tailed Sunbird (I don't see any differents between both especies).

Many thanks in advance.

 

[andyb39]

Two different individuals, I think, as the top bird seems to be missing a white tip to one of the longest tail feathers.

The females of these two species are very similar and I find them very difficult to tell apart. According to field guides, the tail of female Green-tailed comes to a point, but this isn't always borne out by online images. Both have extensive white tips on the undertail and both tend to have coppery tones on the flight feathers. Mrs Gould's seems to average a little greyer on the head and is more uniformly yellow on the underparts, whereas Green-tailed seems to be greyer on the underparts but to have a contrasting yellow vent.

I'm not sure which species the top bird is, although the vent does look quite yellow. I am leaning towards Mrs Gould's for the lower one, as it seems uniformly yellow on the underparts and has a blunt-tipped tail.

What was the exact location/elevation where you saw these birds? That might be significant.

 

[Danielibero]

First of all, thank you very much for your answer and for explaining all those characteristics that differentiate both (which I obviously didn't know).

In response to the question, say that I took the photos in some trees near the road to the top. Next to some toilets, I want to remember ...
Then the elevation would be 2550 masl more or less.

Cheers.

 

[andyb39]

According to Robson, Green-tailed differs from Mrs Gould's in having broader white tips to the undertail feathers, but I can't see much difference between this Green-tailed http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_ID=2130&Bird_Image_ID=179571 and this Mrs Gould's http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_ID=2131&Bird_Image_ID=113492. However, the bird in your second image has broad white tips to the longest tail feathers, which seems to be more a feature of Green-tailed but maybe not exclusively. I'm never sure if these birds have been correctly identified on OBI.

Do you happen to remember the approximate kilometre marker?

 

[Danielibero]

Oooof!! The second bird's feet horrified me, poor guy...

Do you happen to remember the approximate kilometre marker?

These are the "exact" coordenates, I see the birds in some of the trees around this point: 18°35'17.8"N 98°29'11.4"E

 

[andyb39]

These are the "exact" coordenates, I see the birds in some of the trees around this point: 18°35'17.8"N 98°29'11.4"E

Apparently both species are equally common here.

 

[Danielibero]

the bird in your second image has broad white tips to the longest tail feathers, which seems to be more a feature of Green-tailed but maybe not exclusively.

In this pic (http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_ID=2131&Bird_Image_ID=8747&Bird_Family_ID=) I think I can see this feature, and is a Mrs Goulds, so maybe as you said this is not a diagnostic feature...

I guess the better option is to let both as Sunbird sp. in eBird. Even so, thanks so much for everything Andy.

Cheers!!