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Ethiopia problem birds (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter monkir
- Start date
dwatsonbirder
Well-known member
The first looks like yellow rumped seedeater; the cisticola's I struggle with - I think 3 & 4 may be rattling cisticola, but I'd await confirmation from somebody else!
If you can provide specific locations this may help with the identification process - I did them on call when I was there last year.
If you can provide specific locations this may help with the identification process - I did them on call when I was there last year.
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Larry Sweetland
Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'
I don't know what's in Ethiopia, but the cisticola in the middle looks like a beefy mutha to me, recalling Stout or Croaking if either of those or something similar is an option at the location.
I think Cisticola 1 is Rattling.
I think Cisticola 2/3 (same bird, I presume, seems to be the same branch) is Stout Cisticola. Reasons: overall colouration; then especially the stout, shortish bill, and the black loral lines to under the eye (I think these rule out anything else - but I'm no expert, so not sure).
I'm happy with Reichenow's (formerly Yellow-rumped) Seedeater for photo one.
I think Cisticola 2/3 (same bird, I presume, seems to be the same branch) is Stout Cisticola. Reasons: overall colouration; then especially the stout, shortish bill, and the black loral lines to under the eye (I think these rule out anything else - but I'm no expert, so not sure).
I'm happy with Reichenow's (formerly Yellow-rumped) Seedeater for photo one.
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
What's a Beefy Mutha? It's not in any of my books!
Larry Sweetland
Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'
It's an unofficial grouping name for the larger cisticola species, the equivalent of 'peeps' for small calidrids
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
Thanks! Likely to be adopted as an official name if the genus ever got split?
Larry Sweetland
Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'
With apologies for veering off topic, I suspect that taxonomists may be shying away from the issue for fear of tedious arguments over how to present the new common name of the potential new genus Megacisticola. Should it be hyphenated, and if so with or without capitals? My personal preference is to do neither, and to run the two words together as used to be the case with Fairywren, to end up with, eg: Stout Beefymutha, rather than the more clumsy: Stout Beefy Mutha, Stout-beefymutha, or Stout-Beefy-Mutha.
Word Association test (Stout Beefy) my entries:
1. Nigella Lawson
2. 'Lord' Botham looks more like the ball than the bat these days
And I seem to recall that 'mutha' is an abrreviation, but I can't quite put my finger on what for.
Edit: I sometimes forget how international this site it. For non-English (and Australian of the wrong age in my 2) here are the keys:
1. Nigella Lawson is a TV chef famous for many things including beef stew cooked with stout (Guinness), and the link gives this recipe (the link wasn't meant to be insulting to her, who is anyway regarded as far as I know as a bit of a beauty).
2. Ian Botham is a legendary English cricket player who was a genius all his career, but for a couple of years in 1980-82 reached a pinnacle where he was the by a long way the best batsman and by a long way the best bowler in intenational series, especially against Australia. Essentially, he won matches solo. His nickname then was 'Beefy' and my photo link in 2 was showing that he is a little stout in shape these days. (And he was recently made a 'lord' by UK PM 'Boris' Johnson.
Check these links for 'Beefy Botham':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPvcXxZBBgs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDnna1iNS7E
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I think that it is either Stout or Croaking and the two are very difficult to tell apart on sight alone.
My concern is that Stout should show a richer nape colour than here, and it should be distinctively different to the ear coverts and the back colour. It isnt here so I am leaning towards Croaking. The 'loral' line isnt IMO - it is a gape line. I can find plenty of pictures on line with this on either species.
It would be good to know where these were taken and both habitat and elevation as this helps in understanding.
Larry Sweetland
Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'
I have similar concerns also about the first cisticola being a rattler. Habitat, location, and altitude would help there too
