[SIZE=+2]What's that bird - (Identification thread index)[/SIZE]
08/05/10
It struck me that there is so much birding wisdom buried in depths of Bird Forum that it would be a useful thing to have some sort of index for the identification threads. While it may be useful to people who have an unidentified bird, if you like a sort of FAQ, I'm expecting the major beneficiaries will be those kind souls who but the effort into explaining why a particular bird is one species, sometimes at great length. This means that they should only have to do it once. I'll keep re-editing the first post in this thread to include more species as I get round to it and layout suggestions, broken links, seminal threads etc that people have. I have highlighted the most interesting or very useful threads.
• No stars means there is a picture and replies that say its an x,
• *means that someone has at least said something about why,
• ** means there is some useful information in there,
• *** means that there is a full discussion about ID features.
I'm trying to put difficult species pairs/groups together and group other birds by genus and geography where appropriate! Threads stored geographically are grouped by origin rather than location and I have not been entirely consistent with where I have housed Mexican birds! I know I should also add Latin names and thumbnails, but that's a job for later. Likewise I apologise for the UK rather than US names. One day I'll add them all! I'm not putting in every thread unless the species is part of a particularly tricky pair. People looking for lots of pictures are probably best off looking in the database. I'm picking out the threads with the most detailed discussion and making sure that these are at the front of each section. In order to increase the chances of having a mystery bird identified, please put as much detail as you can. Size, habits, where you were, and all the plumage and structural details you can remember. Photos make it so much easier, but good field notes are as good!
[SIZE=+2]Non Passerines[/SIZE]
This thread links the ID discussions and requests for identification for non Passerines. In general these are birds which do not have the kind of foot structure that allows the to perch in trees easily. However there are some very good perchers in the non-passerines and they include Pigeons, Hummingbirds, Woodpeckers etc
[SIZE=+1]Seabirds[/SIZE]
Grebes and Divers
• Grebes Black-necked Grebe in winter plumage, Black-necked Grebe another diving; Black-necked Grebe aka Eared Grebe; Slavonian Grebe aka Horned Grebe; another, Horned/Slavonian Grebe** in transitional plumage, Grebe spp Probable Pied-billed x Atitlan integrades; integrades; Little Grebe, Great-crested Grebe,
Shearwaters, Albatrosses and Petrels
• Shearwaters **Little Shearwater, Audubon's Sheawater, Mediterranean ShearwaterHutton's Shearwater,Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Great Shearwater, Cory's Shearwater, ***another
• Diving PetrelsCommon Diving Petrel
• Large Petrels Giant Petrel Northern and Southern, more*, White-chinned Petrel, White-chinned petrel*** including separation from Westland and Black Petrel Cape Petrel*
• Storm Petrels Maderian Petrel aka band-rumped (probably), Wilson's Petrel
• Albatrosses Black-browed or Yellow-nosed
Cormorants, Shags, Pelicans & Boobies
• Cormorants and Shags ***Great Cormorant and why it isn't a Double-crested; Great Cormorant discussion about ID of sinensis race; Double-crested Cormorant, another with discussion on why its not a diver/loon; Shag from Cormorant on behaviour; *Shag
• Pelicans Brown Pelican and why it's not an immature American White;
• Gannets and Boobies Masked Booby,
[SIZE=+1]Herons, Egrets, Storks, Cranes, Ibis etc[/SIZE]
Herons and Egrets
• Night herons Small Herons and Bitterns Black-crowned Night Heron ; Yellow-crowned Night Heron; Yellow-crowned Night Heron with discussion explaining why its not Black-crowned Night Heron; another, Least Bittern deceased! *Little Heron Maldives race; Green Heron*** the much debated 2006 Dutch birdanother, Striated Heron, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron,
• Non-white Herons and Egrets Tricoloured Heron; Little Blue Heron, Reddish Egret discussion; Great Blue Heron
• White Herons and Egrets *Great Egret, Cattle Egret
Ibis and Limpkin
• Bare-faced or Sharp-tailed Ibis, White Ibis immature; Limpkin
[SIZE=+1]Duck Geese and Swans[/SIZE]
Diving Ducks
• Athya's and Nettia's Female Tufted Duck; **Tufted Duck female that could be confused with Scaup; Greater Scaup, Drake Red-crested Pochard, Pochard in eclipse plumage; female, Redhead possibly, if its not a hybrid; Redhead or hybrid, Rosybill
• Others King Eider eclipse male, Red-breasted Merganser, *another, Goosander, *Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck
• Hybrids Red-crested Pochard x?; ***Lesser-scaup-like, Lesser Scaup x Ring-necked Duck??, another, Mallard x Tufted Duck?, Hybrid Aythya with Lesser Scaup Characteristics, Tufted Duck x Pochard, Eider x Shelduck, Ferruginous x ? another EiderxMallard three posts down;
Dabbling Ducks
• Teal, ***Green-winged Teal, with how to tell from Teal; Gadwall, American Wigeon female; Shoveler in eclipse; American Black Duck,
• Escapes and Non-US/Eurasian SpeciesChiloe Wigeon, female Ringed Teal Male Ringed Teal, *Hottentot Teal, Muscovy Duck; White-cheeked Pintail[/thread], Australian Shelduck, Paradise Shelduck, White-cheeked Pintail
• Hybrids Shoveler x Mallard, Gadwall or Pintail x Teal or something else, Mallard x Pacific Black Duck, Pintail x American Wigeon?, Mallard x Pacific Black Duck[/thread]
Geese
• Grey Geese Bean Goose Tundra?; **Bean Geese, ***Bean Goose probable rossicus; Bean Goose** Taiga/fabilis with separation from Tundra, Greylag Goose in flight;
• Brantas **Canada Goose Richardson's?; Brent Geese
• Hybrids & Domestic Geese ]Barnacal x Lesser White-fronted Goose[/thread], 9
• Escapes Ruddy-headed Geese, Egyptian Goose 1st summer,
[SIZE=+1]Gamebirds, crakes, rails, bustards[/SIZE]
Eurasian
• Crakes Little Crake, Moorhen, another, ***Cootwith comparison to American Coot;
• Partridges Chukar,
North American
• Crakes and Rails American Coot a juvenile; American Purple Gallinule juvenile; Sora Rail
Africa
• Bustards Northern Black Koorhan
• Game birds Natal Francolin
• Crakes and rails Purple Swamphen
[SIZE=+1]Birds of Prey[/SIZE]
North American
• Buteos Red-tailed Hawk perched.; Red-tailed Hawk from behind and why it's not Swainson's; "Krider's" Red-tailed Hawk, Probable Red-tailed Hawk managing to look like a Bald Eagle; Dark Morph, *Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk juvenile; Short-tailed Hawk juvenile; *Broad-winged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk? in Scotland!!!
• Coopers/Sharp-shinned/Goshawk ***Coopers Hawk Perched, with comparative photos with Sharp-shinned. Cooper's Hawk flight ID; Coopers Hawk a juvenile; another, *Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Falcons American Kestrel a distant bird on wires;Merlin, Merlin pacific race;
• Other **Roadside Hawk - series of flight photos and discussion of separation from Sharp-shinned and Coopers Hawk, Northern Harrier, Mississipi Kite, Mississipi Kite perched; White-tailed Kite, Northern Harrier,
Central, South American
• Broad-winged Hawk; Moutain Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, another,, White-tailed Hawk, Plain-breasted Hawk, Roadside Hawk immature
Eurasian
• Kites Red Kite with some discussion about why its not Black Kite, Black-shouldered Kite juvenile facing away;
• Accipiters Sparrowhawk with discussion about how to tell from Goshawk; Sparrowhawk*** with comparative flight photos and ID features to tell from Goshawk Sparrowhawk perched juvenile with lengthy debate about why it can't be a Goshawk; *another, Another Sparrowhawk that has foxed a few people; **Crested Goshawk probable; Possible Besra, **Besra and Shrika
• Buzzards and Honey Buzzards Common Buzzard with unusually pale tail; Common Buzzard, Common Buzzard from Rough-legged Buzzard***, Rough-legged Buzzard from poor photograph; **Oriental Honey Buzzard, Honey Buzzard and Common Buzzard the most argued thread on BF;
• Harriers Hen Harrier; Montagu's Harrier*** presumed 2nd cal female compared to Hen Harrier, *Marsh Harrier, another, *another
• Large Eagles White-tailed Eagle, ***Spotted Eagle spp Spotted or Indian Spotted Eagle; Spotted Eagle?
• Small Eagles Booted Eagle
• Falcons Peregrine x Saker?, Saker; Peregrine; *Peregrine and how to tell from Hobby in flight, *Another, Odd Peregrine type, *Perched Merlin and why its not a Hobby, **another and why its not a Peregrine; Kestrel x ?
Oceania
• Grey Goshawk
African
• small eagles Brown Snake Eagle, Beaudoin's Snake Eagle***,
• Large Eagles Martial Eagle, **Wahlberg's Eagle
• vultures Ruppell's Vulture
• Kites Black Kite,
[SIZE=+1]Waders[/SIZE]
Calidrids and similar
• Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers, *Semi-palmated Sandpiper unusually rufous juvenile; Probable Semipalmated Sandpiper, *Western Sandpiper, another
• Stints and small peeps ***Little Stint tricky and slightly unusual winter-plumaged bird; Little Stint Summer bird asleep! Little Stint that is confusable with Semipalmated Sandpiper; Little Stint in the US; Least Sandpiper coming into summer plumage; **another***Probable Least Sandpipers,
• Other Calidrids Curlew Sandpiper summer plumaged; **Dunlin juvenile; another, racila ID, Purple Sandpiper, Winter plumaged Dunlin, White-rumped Sandpiper, *Pectoral Sandpiper, *Knot juvenile, another; Great Knot
• Stilt Sandpiper
Tringas and similar
• Smaller Tringas **Green Sandpiper, another, Spotted Sandpiper, *Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper
• "Shanks" Redshank with discussion why it is not Spotted Redshank. Greenshank, Greenshanks that were confusable with Spotted Redshank, another, Greater Yellowlegs, another, **more with separation from Lesser Yellowlegs discussed; and again! *Marsh Sandpiper, another
Plovers and Lapwing
• small Charadrius plovers Kentish Plover aka Snowy; Semipalmated Plover; Ringed Plover tundrae, Ringed Plover*** and discussion as to why it isn't a Semi P plover.
• lLarge Charadrius plovers Caspian Plover, Lesser Sandplover, another another, another
• Pluvialis Plovers Grey Plover, Odd Grey Plover, **American or Pacific Golden Plover, Odd Golden plover spp, ***American Golden Plover , American Golden Plover juvenile; Golden Ploverin flight;
• Lapwing and similar Crowned Lapwing
Others
• GodwitsBlack-tailed Godwit, *another, Black-tailed Godwit Icelandic race juvenile; Bar-tailed Godwit with deformed bill; Godwits a couple of Black-tailed in a Bar-tailed flock;
• Dowitchers *Dowitcher spp a winter adult thought to be probably (just) a Short-billed; more spp, more, ***Short-billed Dowitcher Identification of a bird nearly submerged; another probably; Three winter plumage Dowitchers
• Phalaropes Wilson's Phalarope, **Red-necked Phalarope
• Curlews Eurasian Curlew, Juv Curlew showing some Whimbrel-like features Whimbrel Hudsonian;
• Pratincoles Collared Pratincole
• miscellaneous waders male Ruff with comparison to Redshank; another, another, Willet and why it isn't a Stilt Sandpiper; *another, Black-winged Stilt, *Surfbird, Black Turnstone, (Ruddy) Turnstone Wilson's Snipe,
[SIZE=+1]Skuas Gulls and Terns[/SIZE]
Skuas
• Small Skuas Long-tailed Skua**, another,, Pomarine Skua, ***another a lightweigh juv, Arctic Skua*, another, another, ***Skuas identification tips;
Large Skuas Australian Catharacta presumed Brown, US Catharacta presumed South Polar,
Gulls
• Large White-headed Gulls 4th winter Lesser Black-backed Gull with discussion how it shows similarities to Herring Gull; **2nd Winter Lesser Black-backed Gull, **Lesser Black-backed Gull 3rd winter, differentiation from Yellow-legged Gull discussed; *Lesser Black-backed Gullintermedius race; Possible Lesser Black-backed Gull x Herring Gull or perhaps just a dark mantled LBBG, ***Yellow-legged Gull How to identify one summary! Yellow-legged Gull melanistic individual; Yellow-legged Gull a micahellis compared to other large WH gulls; ***Yellow-legged Gull chapter and verse on how to tell cachinnans from micahellis; another, **Caspian Gull, ***another, another, another general information; ***Unidentified gull possible hybrid LBBG x Herring; Western Gull; Glaucous or Glaucous x Herring 1st summer bird; Glaucous x Herring Gull , Great Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull 1st summer; Unidentified leucistic Gull, Glaucous-winged x Herring Gull; Herring Gull, **Herring Gull from LBBG in flight; Herring Gull argenteus and argentatus wing patterns; ***Smithsonensis Herring Gull and how to identify it; another in flight showing the tail nicely; **Not a Thayer's Gull, Perhaps a Thayers Gull?, A real Thayers Gull, Iceland Gull
• Ring-billed and Common Gulls ***Common (Mew) Gull showing bright yellow legs, pale-ish eye and ring on bill; Ring-billed Gull,
• Dark-headed Gulls Black-headed Gull, another, Leucistic Black-headed Gull, **Mediterranean Gull with discussion on why it isn't a hybrid;
• Others Kittiwake,
Terns
• Marsh Terns Whiskered Tern - Sick/strange bird
• Large Sterna Terns Elegant Tern In Dingle, Eire; another in flight; Royal Tern with comparison to Caspian Tern.
• Medium Sterna Terns Gull-billed Tern
• Small Sterna Terns Arctic Tern juvenile; Forster's Tern, another 1st summer; **Common Tern compared with Forster's; Little Tern** compared to Saunder's Tern, another,
• Noddies Brown Noddy
[SIZE=+1]Hummingbirds[/SIZE]
South America
• Volcano Hummingbird, Violet Sabrewing, White-bellied Woodstar, *Sparkling Violetear, Ruby Topaz, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, ***Chlorostilbon spp,
North American
• Small ones! Anna's or Black-chinned Hummingbird in California; Rufous Hummingbird, Anna's Hummingbird, Costa's Hummingbird
[SIZE=+1]Owls[/SIZE]
• North AmericanBarred Owl, Eastern Screech Owl,
• African *Pearl-spotted] Owl
[SIZE=+1]Hornbills, Toucans and Touracos[/SIZE]
• Rufous Hornbill, **Jackson's Hornbill
[SIZE=+1]Pigeons and Doves[/SIZE]
Eurasian
• Pigeons Stock Dove
• Doves Turtle Dove juvenile;
North American
• Doves Inca Dove
South America
• **White-tipped and Gray-fronted Doves discussion on features, Pale-vented Pigeon.
African
• Pigeons Speckled Pigeon
[SIZE=+1]Switfs[/SIZE]
• Little Swift, ***Pallid Swift and how tell from Common Swift
[SIZE=+1]Parrots[/SIZE]
• Red-fronted Parakeet
[SIZE=+1]Other Near Passerines[/SIZE]
Eurasian
• Kingfishers Common Kingfisher - no pictures,
• Rollers and Beeaters Roller
• Woodpeckers Great-spotted Woodpecker, Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker,
• Cuckoos Asian Koel,
North American
• Kingfishers Belted Kingfisher,
• Woodpeckers ***Downy or Hairy Woodpecker A problematic bird discussed at great length!, Downy Woodpecker, *Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Woodpeckers How to ID on sound; Red-bellied Woodpecker,
• Cuckoos Yellow-billed Cuckoo
South and Central American
• Woodpeckers Puerto Rican Woodpecker
African
• Kingfishers Malachite Kingfisher, Brown hooded Kingfisher
• Rollers Blue-bellied Roller
[SIZE=+1]Others - I need a clue where to put them[/SIZE]
• African Finfoot
[SIZE=+2]Passerines[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Larks, Pipits and Wagtails[/SIZE]
• Larks Thekla Lark; Woodlark with brief discussion of differences with Skylark; Singing Bush Lark, Rufous-naped Lark, Sabota's Lark*, Spike-heeled Lark, Shorelark; Shorelark another from behind! Shore Lark discussion on races.
• Tree Pipit/Meadow Pipit***Meadow Pipit with comparative pics showing difference from Tree Pipit; ***another, ***another, Odd Meadow Pipit; Bright Meadow Pipit, Strange Tree Pipit A contentious bird that called like a Tree Pipit but really doesn't look like one! Tree Pipit part way down the first page; **Tree and Meadow Pipit how to id in song flight. Pipit spp Icelandic Mystery Pipit; Pipit Spp Meadow or japonicus Buff-bellied? Red-throated Pipit**
• Water/Rock/Buff-bellied Pipit Summer-plumage American (Buff-bellied) Pipit, Buff-bellied pipit, **Rock Pipit littoralis with lengthy discussion; ***Scandinavian Rock Pipit, Rock pipit confusable with Water pipit, Rock Pipit littoralis; *another, another, ***another, Rock Pipit petrosus or littoralis and a discssion about pipis in general; another, Rock Pipit petrosus Water Pipit coming into summer-plumage; Water Pipit in winter plumage; The Hannafore Pipit japonicus Buff-bellied Pipit or strange Rock pipit?
• Large Pipits Probable Upland Pipit with discussion comparing to Blyth's and Richard's Pipit, Australian Pipit, Tawny Pipit, Paddyfield Pipit** Probable,
• Other Pipits Hellmayr's Pipit probably, Sprague's Pipit
• White and Pied Dull female White Wagtail; ***White Wagtail with illustrated discussion on how to tell from Pied; White Wagtail; **Pied Wagtail juvenile with explanation of why its not a White Wagtail; *White x Pied Wagtail, **White Wagtail Asian races;
• "Yellow" wagtails ***Id of female Flava wagtail, Yellow Wagtail female presumed to be of the race flava; Spanish-like Wagtail
• Other Wagtails*Grey Wagtail, *another
• Others Pangani Longclaw halfway down page;
[SIZE=+1]Swallows and Martins[/SIZE]
• *Northern Rough-winged Swallow, **Bank Swallow with Brown-chested Martin of the quite similar subspecies fusca; Grey-breasted Martin, Barn Swallow
[SIZE=+1]Old World Warblers[/SIZE]
Beginners guide to British Warblers.
Acrocephalus Warblers
• Streaked Sedge Warbler,
• Unstreaked Reed Warbler, Reed Warbler, juv Reed Warbler, Reed Warbler*** atypical bird that was first thought to be a Marsh Warbler, hybrid Sedge x Reed Warbler managing to look like something incredibly rare. Lesser Swamp Warbler
Cisticolas
• Fan-tailed Warbler or Zitting Cisticola; Tinkling Cisticola***, Rattling Cisticola
Hippolais Warblers
• **Upcher's Warbler and separation from Eastern Olivaceous and Olive-tree Warblers. Eastern Olivaceous Warbler*** and separation from varous Acrocephalus Warblers, another **
Sylvia Warblers
• Sylvia Warblers Sardininan Warbler, another**,Whitethroat, Whitethroat possibly of the race icteops; Lesser Whitethroat, ***Lesser Whitethroat Eastern race; Garden warbler, another, *Barred Warbler,
Phylloscopus Warblers
• • Greeny Wing bar-less Phylloscopus Warblers. ***How to tell Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff apart with comparative photographs; Unusually bright willow warbler that could be mistaken for Wood Warbler,Willow Warbler** with dark legs, Chiffchaff with strange song; Chiffchaff;Chiffchaff; another, another 1st summer bird Chiffchaff possible abientinus; **Eastern Chiffchaffs, **Iberian Chiffchaffprobable; Possible Iberian Chiffchaff the Dibbinsdale bird, Willow Warbler with unusual crown shape (photo effect). discussion on Willow/Chiff/Wood Warbler; Odd Willow Warbler?, Mystery Phyllosc, Raddes Warbler
• Phylloscs with wing bars *Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler, ***Probable Two-barred Greenish Warbler further down thread; Greenish Warbler**, Pale-legged Leaf warbler
Kinglets
• Kinglets Ruby-crowned Kinglet; Golden-crownwed Kinglet, **Goldcrest
Others
• Grey-backed Caramoptera
• Plain Prinia
[SIZE=+1]New World Warblers, Woodcreepers, Ovenbirds and Spinetails[/SIZE]
Ovenbirds Woodcreepers and Spinetails
• Spinetails Azaras Spinetail,
• Woodcreepers Woodcreepers, advice on the features to clinch identifications of this difficult group.
• Ovenbirds **Rufous Hornero
Warblers
• classic warblers Female Yellow-rumped Warbler, another, probable Cape May Warbler; *Orange-crowned Warbler discussed with Wilson's Warbler; another, another* ***Northern Parula with excellent illustrations of why. Prothonotary Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Palm Warbler a little way down the page; *Townsend's Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, American Redstart feamle; *Tennessee Warbler *another, Nashville Warbler, Yellow Warbler, another, Magnolia Warbler, Common Yellowthroat
• Others*Northern Waterthrush; Louisianna WaterthrushCalifornian Gnatcatcher, Bushtit
[SIZE=+1]Flycatchers, Tyrant Flycatchers, Mockingbirds and Shrikes[/SIZE]
Shrikes and Bush-shrikes
• Grey Shrikes Loggerhead Shrike; Another ***Southern Grey Shike lengthy debate about the identification of an adult male, possibly Steppe Grey Shike;
• Red-backed, Brown and Rufous-tailed Shrikes Isabelline, Turkestan and Long-tailed Shrikes Isabelline Shrike*** extensive discussion about Daurian and Turkestan Shrikes.
• Other Lanius Shrikes ***Woodchat Shrike discussion on racial identification; Northern White-crowned Shrike
Bush-shrikes Southern Boubou, Grey-headed Bush-shrike, Bokmakierie
Mockingbirds
• Chalk-browed Mockingbird
New World Flycatchers
• North American
• Empidomax Flycatchers and pewees Unidentifed Flycatcher or Pewee unfortunately the original photo is no longer in the database but the discussion is rich; *Tropical Pewee, Hammond's Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher probably!
• OthersGreat Kiskadee Flycatcher **Kingbirds discussion; **Western Kingbird, another, *Cassin's Kingbird, *Ash-throated Flycather, Great-crested Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher*** separation of juvs from similar species, Social Flycatcher
• Central and S.American ***Myiozetetes Flycatchers
Old World Flycatchers
• Ficedulas Red-throated Flycather,
• Musciapas Spotted Flycatcher
• Others Mangrove Blue Flycatcher** probably, Brown-chested Jungle-Flycatcher,
[SIZE=+1]Tits/Chickadees, Treecreepers and Nuthatches[/SIZE]
• Black-capped and Carolina Chickadees Carolina Chickadee, another,
• Willow and Marsh Tit Marsh Tit, ***Willow Tit, *****Chapter and verse on Willow v Marsh.
• Others Tufted Titmouse - a tuftless one!, Black-throated Tit ssp manipurensis; Coal Tit
• Nuthatches White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Rock Nuthatch***
• Treecreepers Short-toed Treecreeper
[SIZE=+1]Wrens[/SIZE]
• Carolina Wren, House Wren
[SIZE=+1]Thrushes,Accentors,Thrashers and Chats[/SIZE]
North American
• Trashers Brown Thrasher
• Bluebirds Eastern Bluebird, another
• Thrushes American Robin juvenile; American Robin partial albino; Varied Thrush, Veery, Hermit Thrush,
Eurasian
• Chats Common Nightingale***showing 8pps and hence confusable with Thrush Nightingale Redstart, **Black Redstart ageing discussion; another, Daurian Redstart, another, ***Stonechat female with prominent eyestripe and discussion about validity of NW European races; id and status of rubicola, Stonechat** discussion compared to Whinchat of a bird with a good superciliumStonechat, Stonechat, ***Whinchat juv. and explanation of why its not a Stonechat; Northern Wheatear juvenile; *another, Greenland race Northern Wheatear, **Black-eared Wheatear discussed with Pied,
• Thrushes Song Thrush with explanation why it's not Mistle; Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare with a video too; Odd Blackbird, Redwing wing only; Redwing, Pale Thrush
• Accentors *Dunnock, another, another Robin Accentor
African
• Rock Thrushes Sentinel Rock Trush adult male; Cape Rock Thrush probable juvenile;
• Chats Northern Anteater Chat, Southern Anteater Chat, Blackstart ssp airensis, Red-backed Scrub-Robin
• Turdus Thrushes Karoo Thrush
South and Central American
• Thrushes Pale-breasted Thrush
[SIZE=+1]Sunbirds[/SIZE]
• **Amethyst Sunbird identification of female;
[SIZE=+1]Crows Jays etc[/SIZE]
Eurasian
• Crows**Hooded Crow/Carrion Crow intergrade illustrated discussion.
North American
• Crows and RavensRaven with discussion on how to distinguish from American Crow;
• others Clark's Nutcracker, Western Scrub Jay, Scrub Jay
[SIZE=+1]Orioles, Starlings, Blackbirds Cowbirds etc[/SIZE]
Blackbirds and Grackles
• Blackbirds Red-winged Blackbird with some discussion about why its not Tricoloured Blackbird, female, **Red-breasted Blackbird, Rusty Blackbird
• Grackles Common Grackle albino; Great-tailed Grackle partial albino; another, *Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle, another
New World Orioles
• Orchard/Northern Orioles Northern or Orchard Oriole; Northern Oriole masquerading as American Goldfinch!; Northern Oriole female "Baltimore"; ***another with a long discussion about the separation from Orchard Oriole; *Orchard Oriole, Hooded Oriole a probable (fledgeling).
Other
• Starlings and Mynahs Starling a juvenile. Vinous-breasted Starling at liberty in Spain; Ruppell's Long-tailed Starling, Cape Glossy Starling, Wattled Starling, Common Mynah, Black-winged Starling, Hill Mynah,
• Cowbirds Shiny Cowbird,
[SIZE=+1]White-eyes[/SIZE]
• Cape White-eye
[SIZE=+1]Laughingthrushes, Bulbuls and everything else![/SIZE]
• Laughing ThrushesWhite-throated Laughingthrush in an Essex garden!
• Bulbuls Spectacled Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul at liberty in South Wales; Chinese Bulbul
[SIZE=+1]Finches, Buntings, Weaver Finches Grassquits and Sparrows[/SIZE]
Eurasia
• "Green" Finches Female Greenfinch,Siskin, Siskin with discussion on age and sex;
• "Brown" finches Lesser Redpoll a juvenile; Lesser Redpolls, ***Redpolls spp and their undertail coverts; Lesser Redpoll* Mealy-like male; **Probable Common Redpoll, Common/mealy Redpoll, **more Linnet;
• Other finches Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Brambling; another, Azores Chaffinch, Chaffinch Canary Island race;
• Crossbills Common Crossbill, **Common Crossbill,Scottish Crossbill ~ discussion on validity of the species! and again, Parrot Crossbill** and other species,
• Buntings ***Aberrant Reed Bunting This bird is still the subject of discussion and is identified as an aberrant Reed Bunting by default, since it doesn't seem to be anything else! a yellowy Reed Bunting, Reed Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Corn Bunting; Yellowhammer dark female and why its not a Cirl bunting; Yellowhammers, more,Cirl Bunting moulting female; Black-headed Bunting female; Lapland Bunting moulting male.
• Sparrows House Sparrow
• Escapes Canary, Canary x ?
North American
• Sparrows Golden-crowned Sparrow; White-throated Sparrow; *another, White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow, another, Savannah Sparrow a slightly contentious bird; Savannah Sparrow; Lincoln's Sparrow; Lark Sparrow, House Sparrow; Chipping Sparrow, another, another, ***Bachmann's Sparrow, Song Sparrow Troublesome Sparrow
• Finches *American Goldfinch, American Goldfinch; Lesser Goldfinch , Housefinch, Housefinch partial albino; Purple Finch, leucistic individual; *Common Redpoll an albino;
• Buntings, Indigo Bunting,.
• Grosbeaks Black-headed Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak
• Towhees Eastern Towhee, Eastern Towhee which caused initial confusion with oriole spp! Eastern Towhee a juvenile. Canyon Towhee
• Others Cardinal leucistic/albinistic; Dark-eyed Junco "Slate-colored"; Male "Oregon"
• Exotics Spotted Munia, Saffron Finch?
Central and South American
• Blue-black Grassquit, White-collared Seedeater
African
• Sparrows and Weavers Blue-billed Firefinch, Village Weaver, Baglafecht Weaver , Cape Weaver, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, Red-billed Quelea
• Others Long-tailed Paradise Wydah, Jameson's Firefinch
[SIZE=+1]Tanagers, and Vireos [/SIZE]
• Tanagers Female Silver-beaked, Summer Tanager 1st summer male, *Scarlet Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, *Blue and Yellow Tanager
• Vireos Red-eyed Vireo in Colombia; Warbling Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo;
[SIZE=+1]Need to be filed correctly [/SIZE](taxonomic help required!)
• South American [thread=62871]Bearded Tachuri
[SIZE=+1]Unidentified and contentious birds[/SIZE]
Whether you fancy your chances as an identification guru or just fancy stirring up some additional controversy, these are the threads with the most lengthy debates about which species is involved or those which have evaded identification thus far (excluding the ones without pictures or with unrecognisable blobs in the far distance!)
• SeabirdsPetrel spp,Black and White Shearwater spp
• Grebe spp Possible Pied-billed x Atitlan integrades;
• Hybrid Aythya with Lesser Scaup Characteristics
• Raptors Possible Peregrine x Saker?, Common Buzzard with unusually pale tail; Unidentified raptor and probably unidentifiable, but it generated just about the most heated debate on BF. I can't make the original links work but there are some additional images of the bird late in the thread; Unidentified Raptor in Thailand, Possible Besra; Mystery raptor; Snake Eagle spp, ***Spotted Eagle spp, Honey Buzzard and Common Buzzard the most argued thread on BF; Kestrel spp
• Gulls Glaucous or Glaucous x Herring 1st summer bird; Troublesome gull variously identified as Laughing, Franklins, Little and Kittiwake; Unidentified gull possible hybrid LBBG x Herring; Large Gull spp; Unidentified leucistic Gull.
• Terns Whiskered Tern, Elegant Tern In Dingle; Least or Little Tern, Saudi Sterna tern White-cheeked or Common.
• Waders Challenging Tringa, Probable Least Sandpipers, Little Stint that is confusable with Semipalmated Sandpiper; Little Stint tricky and slightly unusual winter-plumaged bird; Summer plumaged Stint; unidentified South African Calidrid Red-necked, Little or perhaps just a Sanderling; Unidentified Snipe, Odd Golden plover spp, another Odd golden Plover
• Unidentified Black Hummer, another a female taken in the US
• Unidentified Nightjar
• Downy or Hairy Woodpecker
• Cliff or Cave Swallow
• Pipits Strange Tree Pipit allegedly; Pipit spp Icelandic Mystery Pipit; Pipit SppMeadow or japonicus Buff-bellied?, The Hannafore Pipit japonicus Buff-bellied Pipit or strange Rock pipit? further discussion, Troublesome Pipit Water Pipit or Scaninavian Rock Pipit; Paddyfield Pipit a video to work with! Blyth's or Richard's Pipit in Spain, Citrine Wagtail or Water Pipit - you decide
• Old world Warblers hybrid Sedge x Reed Warbler, Unidentified Warbler, Whitethroat possibly of the race icteops; Unidentified Warbler spp in India, Another Indian mystery Warbler, Another Sykes/Blyths Reed/Paddyfield type thing, Hulme's Yellow-browed Warbler and probably Two-barred Greenish Warbler; **Iberian Chiffchaff probable, Mystery Phyllosc, African Cisticola spp,
• New world Warblers ***Cape May or Pine Warbler
• Unidentified White-eye deceased after close encounter wth a cat;
• Mystery Corvid
• ***Southern Grey Shike lengthy debate about the identification of an adult male, possibly Steppe Grey Shike;
• Kingbird spp
• Empid Probably Least, but thought to be Eastern Phoebe by some!
• Nitlava spp Fujian or Rufous-bellied Nitlava
• probable Cape May Warbler
• Northern or Orchard Oriole
• Mystery Albino, Albino-ish something
• Buntings Oddly plumaged Reed Bunting probably! Cirl Bunting moulting female;
• Troublesome US Sparrow
• Whislter spp
• Passerine spp
• Mystery blue passerine in S.Africa
08/05/10
It struck me that there is so much birding wisdom buried in depths of Bird Forum that it would be a useful thing to have some sort of index for the identification threads. While it may be useful to people who have an unidentified bird, if you like a sort of FAQ, I'm expecting the major beneficiaries will be those kind souls who but the effort into explaining why a particular bird is one species, sometimes at great length. This means that they should only have to do it once. I'll keep re-editing the first post in this thread to include more species as I get round to it and layout suggestions, broken links, seminal threads etc that people have. I have highlighted the most interesting or very useful threads.
• No stars means there is a picture and replies that say its an x,
• *means that someone has at least said something about why,
• ** means there is some useful information in there,
• *** means that there is a full discussion about ID features.
I'm trying to put difficult species pairs/groups together and group other birds by genus and geography where appropriate! Threads stored geographically are grouped by origin rather than location and I have not been entirely consistent with where I have housed Mexican birds! I know I should also add Latin names and thumbnails, but that's a job for later. Likewise I apologise for the UK rather than US names. One day I'll add them all! I'm not putting in every thread unless the species is part of a particularly tricky pair. People looking for lots of pictures are probably best off looking in the database. I'm picking out the threads with the most detailed discussion and making sure that these are at the front of each section. In order to increase the chances of having a mystery bird identified, please put as much detail as you can. Size, habits, where you were, and all the plumage and structural details you can remember. Photos make it so much easier, but good field notes are as good!
[SIZE=+2]Non Passerines[/SIZE]
This thread links the ID discussions and requests for identification for non Passerines. In general these are birds which do not have the kind of foot structure that allows the to perch in trees easily. However there are some very good perchers in the non-passerines and they include Pigeons, Hummingbirds, Woodpeckers etc
[SIZE=+1]Seabirds[/SIZE]
Grebes and Divers
• Grebes Black-necked Grebe in winter plumage, Black-necked Grebe another diving; Black-necked Grebe aka Eared Grebe; Slavonian Grebe aka Horned Grebe; another, Horned/Slavonian Grebe** in transitional plumage, Grebe spp Probable Pied-billed x Atitlan integrades; integrades; Little Grebe, Great-crested Grebe,
Shearwaters, Albatrosses and Petrels
• Shearwaters **Little Shearwater, Audubon's Sheawater, Mediterranean ShearwaterHutton's Shearwater,Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Great Shearwater, Cory's Shearwater, ***another
• Diving PetrelsCommon Diving Petrel
• Large Petrels Giant Petrel Northern and Southern, more*, White-chinned Petrel, White-chinned petrel*** including separation from Westland and Black Petrel Cape Petrel*
• Storm Petrels Maderian Petrel aka band-rumped (probably), Wilson's Petrel
• Albatrosses Black-browed or Yellow-nosed
Cormorants, Shags, Pelicans & Boobies
• Cormorants and Shags ***Great Cormorant and why it isn't a Double-crested; Great Cormorant discussion about ID of sinensis race; Double-crested Cormorant, another with discussion on why its not a diver/loon; Shag from Cormorant on behaviour; *Shag
• Pelicans Brown Pelican and why it's not an immature American White;
• Gannets and Boobies Masked Booby,
[SIZE=+1]Herons, Egrets, Storks, Cranes, Ibis etc[/SIZE]
Herons and Egrets
• Night herons Small Herons and Bitterns Black-crowned Night Heron ; Yellow-crowned Night Heron; Yellow-crowned Night Heron with discussion explaining why its not Black-crowned Night Heron; another, Least Bittern deceased! *Little Heron Maldives race; Green Heron*** the much debated 2006 Dutch birdanother, Striated Heron, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron,
• Non-white Herons and Egrets Tricoloured Heron; Little Blue Heron, Reddish Egret discussion; Great Blue Heron
• White Herons and Egrets *Great Egret, Cattle Egret
Ibis and Limpkin
• Bare-faced or Sharp-tailed Ibis, White Ibis immature; Limpkin
[SIZE=+1]Duck Geese and Swans[/SIZE]
Diving Ducks
• Athya's and Nettia's Female Tufted Duck; **Tufted Duck female that could be confused with Scaup; Greater Scaup, Drake Red-crested Pochard, Pochard in eclipse plumage; female, Redhead possibly, if its not a hybrid; Redhead or hybrid, Rosybill
• Others King Eider eclipse male, Red-breasted Merganser, *another, Goosander, *Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck
• Hybrids Red-crested Pochard x?; ***Lesser-scaup-like, Lesser Scaup x Ring-necked Duck??, another, Mallard x Tufted Duck?, Hybrid Aythya with Lesser Scaup Characteristics, Tufted Duck x Pochard, Eider x Shelduck, Ferruginous x ? another EiderxMallard three posts down;
Dabbling Ducks
• Teal, ***Green-winged Teal, with how to tell from Teal; Gadwall, American Wigeon female; Shoveler in eclipse; American Black Duck,
• Escapes and Non-US/Eurasian SpeciesChiloe Wigeon, female Ringed Teal Male Ringed Teal, *Hottentot Teal, Muscovy Duck; White-cheeked Pintail[/thread], Australian Shelduck, Paradise Shelduck, White-cheeked Pintail
• Hybrids Shoveler x Mallard, Gadwall or Pintail x Teal or something else, Mallard x Pacific Black Duck, Pintail x American Wigeon?, Mallard x Pacific Black Duck[/thread]
Geese
• Grey Geese Bean Goose Tundra?; **Bean Geese, ***Bean Goose probable rossicus; Bean Goose** Taiga/fabilis with separation from Tundra, Greylag Goose in flight;
• Brantas **Canada Goose Richardson's?; Brent Geese
• Hybrids & Domestic Geese ]Barnacal x Lesser White-fronted Goose[/thread], 9
• Escapes Ruddy-headed Geese, Egyptian Goose 1st summer,
[SIZE=+1]Gamebirds, crakes, rails, bustards[/SIZE]
Eurasian
• Crakes Little Crake, Moorhen, another, ***Cootwith comparison to American Coot;
• Partridges Chukar,
North American
• Crakes and Rails American Coot a juvenile; American Purple Gallinule juvenile; Sora Rail
Africa
• Bustards Northern Black Koorhan
• Game birds Natal Francolin
• Crakes and rails Purple Swamphen
[SIZE=+1]Birds of Prey[/SIZE]
North American
• Buteos Red-tailed Hawk perched.; Red-tailed Hawk from behind and why it's not Swainson's; "Krider's" Red-tailed Hawk, Probable Red-tailed Hawk managing to look like a Bald Eagle; Dark Morph, *Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk juvenile; Short-tailed Hawk juvenile; *Broad-winged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk? in Scotland!!!
• Coopers/Sharp-shinned/Goshawk ***Coopers Hawk Perched, with comparative photos with Sharp-shinned. Cooper's Hawk flight ID; Coopers Hawk a juvenile; another, *Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Falcons American Kestrel a distant bird on wires;Merlin, Merlin pacific race;
• Other **Roadside Hawk - series of flight photos and discussion of separation from Sharp-shinned and Coopers Hawk, Northern Harrier, Mississipi Kite, Mississipi Kite perched; White-tailed Kite, Northern Harrier,
Central, South American
• Broad-winged Hawk; Moutain Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, another,, White-tailed Hawk, Plain-breasted Hawk, Roadside Hawk immature
Eurasian
• Kites Red Kite with some discussion about why its not Black Kite, Black-shouldered Kite juvenile facing away;
• Accipiters Sparrowhawk with discussion about how to tell from Goshawk; Sparrowhawk*** with comparative flight photos and ID features to tell from Goshawk Sparrowhawk perched juvenile with lengthy debate about why it can't be a Goshawk; *another, Another Sparrowhawk that has foxed a few people; **Crested Goshawk probable; Possible Besra, **Besra and Shrika
• Buzzards and Honey Buzzards Common Buzzard with unusually pale tail; Common Buzzard, Common Buzzard from Rough-legged Buzzard***, Rough-legged Buzzard from poor photograph; **Oriental Honey Buzzard, Honey Buzzard and Common Buzzard the most argued thread on BF;
• Harriers Hen Harrier; Montagu's Harrier*** presumed 2nd cal female compared to Hen Harrier, *Marsh Harrier, another, *another
• Large Eagles White-tailed Eagle, ***Spotted Eagle spp Spotted or Indian Spotted Eagle; Spotted Eagle?
• Small Eagles Booted Eagle
• Falcons Peregrine x Saker?, Saker; Peregrine; *Peregrine and how to tell from Hobby in flight, *Another, Odd Peregrine type, *Perched Merlin and why its not a Hobby, **another and why its not a Peregrine; Kestrel x ?
Oceania
• Grey Goshawk
African
• small eagles Brown Snake Eagle, Beaudoin's Snake Eagle***,
• Large Eagles Martial Eagle, **Wahlberg's Eagle
• vultures Ruppell's Vulture
• Kites Black Kite,
[SIZE=+1]Waders[/SIZE]
Calidrids and similar
• Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers, *Semi-palmated Sandpiper unusually rufous juvenile; Probable Semipalmated Sandpiper, *Western Sandpiper, another
• Stints and small peeps ***Little Stint tricky and slightly unusual winter-plumaged bird; Little Stint Summer bird asleep! Little Stint that is confusable with Semipalmated Sandpiper; Little Stint in the US; Least Sandpiper coming into summer plumage; **another***Probable Least Sandpipers,
• Other Calidrids Curlew Sandpiper summer plumaged; **Dunlin juvenile; another, racila ID, Purple Sandpiper, Winter plumaged Dunlin, White-rumped Sandpiper, *Pectoral Sandpiper, *Knot juvenile, another; Great Knot
• Stilt Sandpiper
Tringas and similar
• Smaller Tringas **Green Sandpiper, another, Spotted Sandpiper, *Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper
• "Shanks" Redshank with discussion why it is not Spotted Redshank. Greenshank, Greenshanks that were confusable with Spotted Redshank, another, Greater Yellowlegs, another, **more with separation from Lesser Yellowlegs discussed; and again! *Marsh Sandpiper, another
Plovers and Lapwing
• small Charadrius plovers Kentish Plover aka Snowy; Semipalmated Plover; Ringed Plover tundrae, Ringed Plover*** and discussion as to why it isn't a Semi P plover.
• lLarge Charadrius plovers Caspian Plover, Lesser Sandplover, another another, another
• Pluvialis Plovers Grey Plover, Odd Grey Plover, **American or Pacific Golden Plover, Odd Golden plover spp, ***American Golden Plover , American Golden Plover juvenile; Golden Ploverin flight;
• Lapwing and similar Crowned Lapwing
Others
• GodwitsBlack-tailed Godwit, *another, Black-tailed Godwit Icelandic race juvenile; Bar-tailed Godwit with deformed bill; Godwits a couple of Black-tailed in a Bar-tailed flock;
• Dowitchers *Dowitcher spp a winter adult thought to be probably (just) a Short-billed; more spp, more, ***Short-billed Dowitcher Identification of a bird nearly submerged; another probably; Three winter plumage Dowitchers
• Phalaropes Wilson's Phalarope, **Red-necked Phalarope
• Curlews Eurasian Curlew, Juv Curlew showing some Whimbrel-like features Whimbrel Hudsonian;
• Pratincoles Collared Pratincole
• miscellaneous waders male Ruff with comparison to Redshank; another, another, Willet and why it isn't a Stilt Sandpiper; *another, Black-winged Stilt, *Surfbird, Black Turnstone, (Ruddy) Turnstone Wilson's Snipe,
[SIZE=+1]Skuas Gulls and Terns[/SIZE]
Skuas
• Small Skuas Long-tailed Skua**, another,, Pomarine Skua, ***another a lightweigh juv, Arctic Skua*, another, another, ***Skuas identification tips;
Large Skuas Australian Catharacta presumed Brown, US Catharacta presumed South Polar,
Gulls
• Large White-headed Gulls 4th winter Lesser Black-backed Gull with discussion how it shows similarities to Herring Gull; **2nd Winter Lesser Black-backed Gull, **Lesser Black-backed Gull 3rd winter, differentiation from Yellow-legged Gull discussed; *Lesser Black-backed Gullintermedius race; Possible Lesser Black-backed Gull x Herring Gull or perhaps just a dark mantled LBBG, ***Yellow-legged Gull How to identify one summary! Yellow-legged Gull melanistic individual; Yellow-legged Gull a micahellis compared to other large WH gulls; ***Yellow-legged Gull chapter and verse on how to tell cachinnans from micahellis; another, **Caspian Gull, ***another, another, another general information; ***Unidentified gull possible hybrid LBBG x Herring; Western Gull; Glaucous or Glaucous x Herring 1st summer bird; Glaucous x Herring Gull , Great Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull 1st summer; Unidentified leucistic Gull, Glaucous-winged x Herring Gull; Herring Gull, **Herring Gull from LBBG in flight; Herring Gull argenteus and argentatus wing patterns; ***Smithsonensis Herring Gull and how to identify it; another in flight showing the tail nicely; **Not a Thayer's Gull, Perhaps a Thayers Gull?, A real Thayers Gull, Iceland Gull
• Ring-billed and Common Gulls ***Common (Mew) Gull showing bright yellow legs, pale-ish eye and ring on bill; Ring-billed Gull,
• Dark-headed Gulls Black-headed Gull, another, Leucistic Black-headed Gull, **Mediterranean Gull with discussion on why it isn't a hybrid;
• Others Kittiwake,
Terns
• Marsh Terns Whiskered Tern - Sick/strange bird
• Large Sterna Terns Elegant Tern In Dingle, Eire; another in flight; Royal Tern with comparison to Caspian Tern.
• Medium Sterna Terns Gull-billed Tern
• Small Sterna Terns Arctic Tern juvenile; Forster's Tern, another 1st summer; **Common Tern compared with Forster's; Little Tern** compared to Saunder's Tern, another,
• Noddies Brown Noddy
[SIZE=+1]Hummingbirds[/SIZE]
South America
• Volcano Hummingbird, Violet Sabrewing, White-bellied Woodstar, *Sparkling Violetear, Ruby Topaz, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, ***Chlorostilbon spp,
North American
• Small ones! Anna's or Black-chinned Hummingbird in California; Rufous Hummingbird, Anna's Hummingbird, Costa's Hummingbird
[SIZE=+1]Owls[/SIZE]
• North AmericanBarred Owl, Eastern Screech Owl,
• African *Pearl-spotted] Owl
[SIZE=+1]Hornbills, Toucans and Touracos[/SIZE]
• Rufous Hornbill, **Jackson's Hornbill
[SIZE=+1]Pigeons and Doves[/SIZE]
Eurasian
• Pigeons Stock Dove
• Doves Turtle Dove juvenile;
North American
• Doves Inca Dove
South America
• **White-tipped and Gray-fronted Doves discussion on features, Pale-vented Pigeon.
African
• Pigeons Speckled Pigeon
[SIZE=+1]Switfs[/SIZE]
• Little Swift, ***Pallid Swift and how tell from Common Swift
[SIZE=+1]Parrots[/SIZE]
• Red-fronted Parakeet
[SIZE=+1]Other Near Passerines[/SIZE]
Eurasian
• Kingfishers Common Kingfisher - no pictures,
• Rollers and Beeaters Roller
• Woodpeckers Great-spotted Woodpecker, Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker,
• Cuckoos Asian Koel,
North American
• Kingfishers Belted Kingfisher,
• Woodpeckers ***Downy or Hairy Woodpecker A problematic bird discussed at great length!, Downy Woodpecker, *Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Woodpeckers How to ID on sound; Red-bellied Woodpecker,
• Cuckoos Yellow-billed Cuckoo
South and Central American
• Woodpeckers Puerto Rican Woodpecker
African
• Kingfishers Malachite Kingfisher, Brown hooded Kingfisher
• Rollers Blue-bellied Roller
[SIZE=+1]Others - I need a clue where to put them[/SIZE]
• African Finfoot
[SIZE=+2]Passerines[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Larks, Pipits and Wagtails[/SIZE]
• Larks Thekla Lark; Woodlark with brief discussion of differences with Skylark; Singing Bush Lark, Rufous-naped Lark, Sabota's Lark*, Spike-heeled Lark, Shorelark; Shorelark another from behind! Shore Lark discussion on races.
• Tree Pipit/Meadow Pipit***Meadow Pipit with comparative pics showing difference from Tree Pipit; ***another, ***another, Odd Meadow Pipit; Bright Meadow Pipit, Strange Tree Pipit A contentious bird that called like a Tree Pipit but really doesn't look like one! Tree Pipit part way down the first page; **Tree and Meadow Pipit how to id in song flight. Pipit spp Icelandic Mystery Pipit; Pipit Spp Meadow or japonicus Buff-bellied? Red-throated Pipit**
• Water/Rock/Buff-bellied Pipit Summer-plumage American (Buff-bellied) Pipit, Buff-bellied pipit, **Rock Pipit littoralis with lengthy discussion; ***Scandinavian Rock Pipit, Rock pipit confusable with Water pipit, Rock Pipit littoralis; *another, another, ***another, Rock Pipit petrosus or littoralis and a discssion about pipis in general; another, Rock Pipit petrosus Water Pipit coming into summer-plumage; Water Pipit in winter plumage; The Hannafore Pipit japonicus Buff-bellied Pipit or strange Rock pipit?
• Large Pipits Probable Upland Pipit with discussion comparing to Blyth's and Richard's Pipit, Australian Pipit, Tawny Pipit, Paddyfield Pipit** Probable,
• Other Pipits Hellmayr's Pipit probably, Sprague's Pipit
• White and Pied Dull female White Wagtail; ***White Wagtail with illustrated discussion on how to tell from Pied; White Wagtail; **Pied Wagtail juvenile with explanation of why its not a White Wagtail; *White x Pied Wagtail, **White Wagtail Asian races;
• "Yellow" wagtails ***Id of female Flava wagtail, Yellow Wagtail female presumed to be of the race flava; Spanish-like Wagtail
• Other Wagtails*Grey Wagtail, *another
• Others Pangani Longclaw halfway down page;
[SIZE=+1]Swallows and Martins[/SIZE]
• *Northern Rough-winged Swallow, **Bank Swallow with Brown-chested Martin of the quite similar subspecies fusca; Grey-breasted Martin, Barn Swallow
[SIZE=+1]Old World Warblers[/SIZE]
Beginners guide to British Warblers.
Acrocephalus Warblers
• Streaked Sedge Warbler,
• Unstreaked Reed Warbler, Reed Warbler, juv Reed Warbler, Reed Warbler*** atypical bird that was first thought to be a Marsh Warbler, hybrid Sedge x Reed Warbler managing to look like something incredibly rare. Lesser Swamp Warbler
Cisticolas
• Fan-tailed Warbler or Zitting Cisticola; Tinkling Cisticola***, Rattling Cisticola
Hippolais Warblers
• **Upcher's Warbler and separation from Eastern Olivaceous and Olive-tree Warblers. Eastern Olivaceous Warbler*** and separation from varous Acrocephalus Warblers, another **
Sylvia Warblers
• Sylvia Warblers Sardininan Warbler, another**,Whitethroat, Whitethroat possibly of the race icteops; Lesser Whitethroat, ***Lesser Whitethroat Eastern race; Garden warbler, another, *Barred Warbler,
Phylloscopus Warblers
• • Greeny Wing bar-less Phylloscopus Warblers. ***How to tell Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff apart with comparative photographs; Unusually bright willow warbler that could be mistaken for Wood Warbler,Willow Warbler** with dark legs, Chiffchaff with strange song; Chiffchaff;Chiffchaff; another, another 1st summer bird Chiffchaff possible abientinus; **Eastern Chiffchaffs, **Iberian Chiffchaffprobable; Possible Iberian Chiffchaff the Dibbinsdale bird, Willow Warbler with unusual crown shape (photo effect). discussion on Willow/Chiff/Wood Warbler; Odd Willow Warbler?, Mystery Phyllosc, Raddes Warbler
• Phylloscs with wing bars *Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler, ***Probable Two-barred Greenish Warbler further down thread; Greenish Warbler**, Pale-legged Leaf warbler
Kinglets
• Kinglets Ruby-crowned Kinglet; Golden-crownwed Kinglet, **Goldcrest
Others
• Grey-backed Caramoptera
• Plain Prinia
[SIZE=+1]New World Warblers, Woodcreepers, Ovenbirds and Spinetails[/SIZE]
Ovenbirds Woodcreepers and Spinetails
• Spinetails Azaras Spinetail,
• Woodcreepers Woodcreepers, advice on the features to clinch identifications of this difficult group.
• Ovenbirds **Rufous Hornero
Warblers
• classic warblers Female Yellow-rumped Warbler, another, probable Cape May Warbler; *Orange-crowned Warbler discussed with Wilson's Warbler; another, another* ***Northern Parula with excellent illustrations of why. Prothonotary Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Palm Warbler a little way down the page; *Townsend's Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, American Redstart feamle; *Tennessee Warbler *another, Nashville Warbler, Yellow Warbler, another, Magnolia Warbler, Common Yellowthroat
• Others*Northern Waterthrush; Louisianna WaterthrushCalifornian Gnatcatcher, Bushtit
[SIZE=+1]Flycatchers, Tyrant Flycatchers, Mockingbirds and Shrikes[/SIZE]
Shrikes and Bush-shrikes
• Grey Shrikes Loggerhead Shrike; Another ***Southern Grey Shike lengthy debate about the identification of an adult male, possibly Steppe Grey Shike;
• Red-backed, Brown and Rufous-tailed Shrikes Isabelline, Turkestan and Long-tailed Shrikes Isabelline Shrike*** extensive discussion about Daurian and Turkestan Shrikes.
• Other Lanius Shrikes ***Woodchat Shrike discussion on racial identification; Northern White-crowned Shrike
Bush-shrikes Southern Boubou, Grey-headed Bush-shrike, Bokmakierie
Mockingbirds
• Chalk-browed Mockingbird
New World Flycatchers
• North American
• Empidomax Flycatchers and pewees Unidentifed Flycatcher or Pewee unfortunately the original photo is no longer in the database but the discussion is rich; *Tropical Pewee, Hammond's Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher probably!
• OthersGreat Kiskadee Flycatcher **Kingbirds discussion; **Western Kingbird, another, *Cassin's Kingbird, *Ash-throated Flycather, Great-crested Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher*** separation of juvs from similar species, Social Flycatcher
• Central and S.American ***Myiozetetes Flycatchers
Old World Flycatchers
• Ficedulas Red-throated Flycather,
• Musciapas Spotted Flycatcher
• Others Mangrove Blue Flycatcher** probably, Brown-chested Jungle-Flycatcher,
[SIZE=+1]Tits/Chickadees, Treecreepers and Nuthatches[/SIZE]
• Black-capped and Carolina Chickadees Carolina Chickadee, another,
• Willow and Marsh Tit Marsh Tit, ***Willow Tit, *****Chapter and verse on Willow v Marsh.
• Others Tufted Titmouse - a tuftless one!, Black-throated Tit ssp manipurensis; Coal Tit
• Nuthatches White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Rock Nuthatch***
• Treecreepers Short-toed Treecreeper
[SIZE=+1]Wrens[/SIZE]
• Carolina Wren, House Wren
[SIZE=+1]Thrushes,Accentors,Thrashers and Chats[/SIZE]
North American
• Trashers Brown Thrasher
• Bluebirds Eastern Bluebird, another
• Thrushes American Robin juvenile; American Robin partial albino; Varied Thrush, Veery, Hermit Thrush,
Eurasian
• Chats Common Nightingale***showing 8pps and hence confusable with Thrush Nightingale Redstart, **Black Redstart ageing discussion; another, Daurian Redstart, another, ***Stonechat female with prominent eyestripe and discussion about validity of NW European races; id and status of rubicola, Stonechat** discussion compared to Whinchat of a bird with a good superciliumStonechat, Stonechat, ***Whinchat juv. and explanation of why its not a Stonechat; Northern Wheatear juvenile; *another, Greenland race Northern Wheatear, **Black-eared Wheatear discussed with Pied,
• Thrushes Song Thrush with explanation why it's not Mistle; Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare with a video too; Odd Blackbird, Redwing wing only; Redwing, Pale Thrush
• Accentors *Dunnock, another, another Robin Accentor
African
• Rock Thrushes Sentinel Rock Trush adult male; Cape Rock Thrush probable juvenile;
• Chats Northern Anteater Chat, Southern Anteater Chat, Blackstart ssp airensis, Red-backed Scrub-Robin
• Turdus Thrushes Karoo Thrush
South and Central American
• Thrushes Pale-breasted Thrush
[SIZE=+1]Sunbirds[/SIZE]
• **Amethyst Sunbird identification of female;
[SIZE=+1]Crows Jays etc[/SIZE]
Eurasian
• Crows**Hooded Crow/Carrion Crow intergrade illustrated discussion.
North American
• Crows and RavensRaven with discussion on how to distinguish from American Crow;
• others Clark's Nutcracker, Western Scrub Jay, Scrub Jay
[SIZE=+1]Orioles, Starlings, Blackbirds Cowbirds etc[/SIZE]
Blackbirds and Grackles
• Blackbirds Red-winged Blackbird with some discussion about why its not Tricoloured Blackbird, female, **Red-breasted Blackbird, Rusty Blackbird
• Grackles Common Grackle albino; Great-tailed Grackle partial albino; another, *Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle, another
New World Orioles
• Orchard/Northern Orioles Northern or Orchard Oriole; Northern Oriole masquerading as American Goldfinch!; Northern Oriole female "Baltimore"; ***another with a long discussion about the separation from Orchard Oriole; *Orchard Oriole, Hooded Oriole a probable (fledgeling).
Other
• Starlings and Mynahs Starling a juvenile. Vinous-breasted Starling at liberty in Spain; Ruppell's Long-tailed Starling, Cape Glossy Starling, Wattled Starling, Common Mynah, Black-winged Starling, Hill Mynah,
• Cowbirds Shiny Cowbird,
[SIZE=+1]White-eyes[/SIZE]
• Cape White-eye
[SIZE=+1]Laughingthrushes, Bulbuls and everything else![/SIZE]
• Laughing ThrushesWhite-throated Laughingthrush in an Essex garden!
• Bulbuls Spectacled Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul at liberty in South Wales; Chinese Bulbul
[SIZE=+1]Finches, Buntings, Weaver Finches Grassquits and Sparrows[/SIZE]
Eurasia
• "Green" Finches Female Greenfinch,Siskin, Siskin with discussion on age and sex;
• "Brown" finches Lesser Redpoll a juvenile; Lesser Redpolls, ***Redpolls spp and their undertail coverts; Lesser Redpoll* Mealy-like male; **Probable Common Redpoll, Common/mealy Redpoll, **more Linnet;
• Other finches Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Brambling; another, Azores Chaffinch, Chaffinch Canary Island race;
• Crossbills Common Crossbill, **Common Crossbill,Scottish Crossbill ~ discussion on validity of the species! and again, Parrot Crossbill** and other species,
• Buntings ***Aberrant Reed Bunting This bird is still the subject of discussion and is identified as an aberrant Reed Bunting by default, since it doesn't seem to be anything else! a yellowy Reed Bunting, Reed Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Corn Bunting; Yellowhammer dark female and why its not a Cirl bunting; Yellowhammers, more,Cirl Bunting moulting female; Black-headed Bunting female; Lapland Bunting moulting male.
• Sparrows House Sparrow
• Escapes Canary, Canary x ?
North American
• Sparrows Golden-crowned Sparrow; White-throated Sparrow; *another, White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow, another, Savannah Sparrow a slightly contentious bird; Savannah Sparrow; Lincoln's Sparrow; Lark Sparrow, House Sparrow; Chipping Sparrow, another, another, ***Bachmann's Sparrow, Song Sparrow Troublesome Sparrow
• Finches *American Goldfinch, American Goldfinch; Lesser Goldfinch , Housefinch, Housefinch partial albino; Purple Finch, leucistic individual; *Common Redpoll an albino;
• Buntings, Indigo Bunting,.
• Grosbeaks Black-headed Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak
• Towhees Eastern Towhee, Eastern Towhee which caused initial confusion with oriole spp! Eastern Towhee a juvenile. Canyon Towhee
• Others Cardinal leucistic/albinistic; Dark-eyed Junco "Slate-colored"; Male "Oregon"
• Exotics Spotted Munia, Saffron Finch?
Central and South American
• Blue-black Grassquit, White-collared Seedeater
African
• Sparrows and Weavers Blue-billed Firefinch, Village Weaver, Baglafecht Weaver , Cape Weaver, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, Red-billed Quelea
• Others Long-tailed Paradise Wydah, Jameson's Firefinch
[SIZE=+1]Tanagers, and Vireos [/SIZE]
• Tanagers Female Silver-beaked, Summer Tanager 1st summer male, *Scarlet Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, *Blue and Yellow Tanager
• Vireos Red-eyed Vireo in Colombia; Warbling Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo;
[SIZE=+1]Need to be filed correctly [/SIZE](taxonomic help required!)
• South American [thread=62871]Bearded Tachuri
[SIZE=+1]Unidentified and contentious birds[/SIZE]
Whether you fancy your chances as an identification guru or just fancy stirring up some additional controversy, these are the threads with the most lengthy debates about which species is involved or those which have evaded identification thus far (excluding the ones without pictures or with unrecognisable blobs in the far distance!)
• SeabirdsPetrel spp,Black and White Shearwater spp
• Grebe spp Possible Pied-billed x Atitlan integrades;
• Hybrid Aythya with Lesser Scaup Characteristics
• Raptors Possible Peregrine x Saker?, Common Buzzard with unusually pale tail; Unidentified raptor and probably unidentifiable, but it generated just about the most heated debate on BF. I can't make the original links work but there are some additional images of the bird late in the thread; Unidentified Raptor in Thailand, Possible Besra; Mystery raptor; Snake Eagle spp, ***Spotted Eagle spp, Honey Buzzard and Common Buzzard the most argued thread on BF; Kestrel spp
• Gulls Glaucous or Glaucous x Herring 1st summer bird; Troublesome gull variously identified as Laughing, Franklins, Little and Kittiwake; Unidentified gull possible hybrid LBBG x Herring; Large Gull spp; Unidentified leucistic Gull.
• Terns Whiskered Tern, Elegant Tern In Dingle; Least or Little Tern, Saudi Sterna tern White-cheeked or Common.
• Waders Challenging Tringa, Probable Least Sandpipers, Little Stint that is confusable with Semipalmated Sandpiper; Little Stint tricky and slightly unusual winter-plumaged bird; Summer plumaged Stint; unidentified South African Calidrid Red-necked, Little or perhaps just a Sanderling; Unidentified Snipe, Odd Golden plover spp, another Odd golden Plover
• Unidentified Black Hummer, another a female taken in the US
• Unidentified Nightjar
• Downy or Hairy Woodpecker
• Cliff or Cave Swallow
• Pipits Strange Tree Pipit allegedly; Pipit spp Icelandic Mystery Pipit; Pipit SppMeadow or japonicus Buff-bellied?, The Hannafore Pipit japonicus Buff-bellied Pipit or strange Rock pipit? further discussion, Troublesome Pipit Water Pipit or Scaninavian Rock Pipit; Paddyfield Pipit a video to work with! Blyth's or Richard's Pipit in Spain, Citrine Wagtail or Water Pipit - you decide
• Old world Warblers hybrid Sedge x Reed Warbler, Unidentified Warbler, Whitethroat possibly of the race icteops; Unidentified Warbler spp in India, Another Indian mystery Warbler, Another Sykes/Blyths Reed/Paddyfield type thing, Hulme's Yellow-browed Warbler and probably Two-barred Greenish Warbler; **Iberian Chiffchaff probable, Mystery Phyllosc, African Cisticola spp,
• New world Warblers ***Cape May or Pine Warbler
• Unidentified White-eye deceased after close encounter wth a cat;
• Mystery Corvid
• ***Southern Grey Shike lengthy debate about the identification of an adult male, possibly Steppe Grey Shike;
• Kingbird spp
• Empid Probably Least, but thought to be Eastern Phoebe by some!
• Nitlava spp Fujian or Rufous-bellied Nitlava
• probable Cape May Warbler
• Northern or Orchard Oriole
• Mystery Albino, Albino-ish something
• Buntings Oddly plumaged Reed Bunting probably! Cirl Bunting moulting female;
• Troublesome US Sparrow
• Whislter spp
• Passerine spp
• Mystery blue passerine in S.Africa
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