Help I.D this Bird NSW Australia (2 Viewers)

[DeesBackyardBids]

Help needed to identify this bird

 

[MacNara]

Masked Woodswallow female (not much mask), I would think. The camera exposure has slightly overexposed the bird, while leaving the sky much bluer than the eye would see it. (My Canon cameras regularly do this; I still can't work out how to overcome this.)

 

[DeesBackyardBids]

Masked Woodswallow female (not much mask), I would think. The camera exposure has slightly overexposed the bird, while leaving the sky much bluer than the eye would see it. (My Canon cameras regularly do this; I still can't work out how to overcome this.)

Hi MacNara, My thoughts were along the same line too but when I compared it to a small bit of footage I have of a female Masked Woodswallow there was a slight difference. Even though the female has a light mask you can still notice it and with this one you can't see one. Whether this is due to over exposer or lighting, or a different bird I do not know. Thank you for your help.

 

[MacNara]

What different bird could it be?

I think it must be just the photo features I mentioned. Or maybe juvenile or moulting females have some differences?

Anyway there are several excellent Australian bird experts on Bird Forum, so I expect one or more of them will come along later.

 

[DeesBackyardBids]

That

What different bird could it be?

I think it must be just the photo features I mentioned. Or maybe juvenile or moulting females have some differences?

Anyway there are several excellent Australian bird experts on Bird Forum, so I expect one or more of them will come along later.

That i do not know.
I think I will go with the Woodswallow unless someone knows something different.

 

[THE_FERN]

Yes masked woodswallow

 

[delia todd]

What different bird could it be?

I think Dee might have meant a different 'bird', not species LOL

I agree with Masked Woodswallow, saw quite a few of these in the Queensland outback, especially Bowra.

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Obviously a woodswallow but something's bothering me about it being Masked 🤔. Maybe the amount of white in the tail. I've got woodswallows wrong before, so I'm probably being over cautious, but are we sure there aren't other options, eg some plumage of Black-faced?

 

[Butty]

Black-faced woodswallow. Can't see a reason to confuse it with masked woodswallow. See pics 1 & 6 for tail-pattern which confirms it.

 

[Butty]

camera exposure has slightly overexposed the bird, while leaving the sky much bluer than the eye would see it . . . I still can't work out how to overcome this

Back of head is slightly overexposed - the rest varies between correctly exposed and underexposed, depending (unavoidably) on shadow (sky looks sky-coloured to me - skies vary). If null auto-exposure gives you overexposure, then just set to underexpose by ⅓-⅔ stop. If (as often in sunlight) light varies widely across a scene, expose for the brightest bit (or overexpose that just slightly) and try to recover as much as possible of the dark bit in post-processing.

 

[DeesBackyardBids]

Obviously a woodswallow but something's bothering me about it being Masked 🤔. Maybe the amount of white in the tail. I've got woodswallows wrong before, so I'm probably being over cautious, but are we sure there aren't other options, eg some plumage of Black-faced?

Thank you for your input on this matter.

 

[DeesBackyardBids]

Black-faced woodswallow. Can't see a reason to confuse it with masked woodswallow. See pics 1 & 6 for tail-pattern which confirms it.

Thank you for your help.

 

[DeesBackyardBids]

I think Dee might have meant a different 'bird', not species LOL

I agree with Masked Woodswallow, saw quite a few of these in the Queensland outback, especially Bowra.

Thank you for responding.

 

[DeesBackyardBids]

Yes masked woodswallow

Thank you for your input.

 

[sicklebill]

Black-faced woodswallow. Can't see a reason to confuse it with masked woodswallow. See pics 1 & 6 for tail-pattern which confirms it.

Black-faced Woodswallow for me too