Samut Prakan, Bangkok earlier this morning (1 Viewer)

[Aladdin]

Dear Members and Bird watches!

I was out looking for birds this morning and I was exploring an area with fish ponds. I have seen a few birds, but I ran in to trouble with the ID for three of them.

Picture 1) I have no idea, a wag tail that will be yellow. I think it might be a Eastern Yellow Wagtail based on the head colour with no brow

Picture 2) My first thought was a barn swallow. But white throat so no barn swallow. There is a redish band on the throat and there is nothing looking like this is my book.

Picture 3) Brown Headed Gull, because of the white eyes, Black Headed Gull have dark eyes according to my book, other wise they look the same for me. Sitting down that is, flying and it is quite easy to see the different wing patterns.


Any ideas on my birds?

Kind Regards and Happy Birding
Aladdin

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

I can confirm its Brown-headed gull for the 3rd

 

[Aladdin]

I can confirm its Brown-headed gull for the 3rd

Thank you Joern Lehmhus!

If you don't mind, how did you come to the Brown Headed? The white eyes?

Kind Regards
Aladdin

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

pale eyes, slightly more massive bill than blackheaded, and the head spot looks bigger and more rounded to me than in typical blackheaded.
there would also be some size difference if you saw them together and in flying birds wing pattern is different

 

[Andy Adcock]

Swallow is Wire-tailed I think.

 

[01101001]

The swallow could be one of those. Wire-tailed??

https://birdcount.in/identifying-swallows/

 

[Indobirder]

Agree with Yellow Wagtail, Wire-tailed Swallow, and Brown-headed Gull

 

[Jacana]

Swallow is Wire-tailed I think.

I agree, and a very good bird for Bangkok! Very few records in Thailand away from the Mekong and the far north as far as I'm aware.

 

[Andy Adcock]

I agree, and a very good bird for Bangkok! Very few records in Thailand away from the Mekong and the far north as far as I'm aware.

Just looked at my old notes, we had two at Chiang Mai in 2002.

 

[Grahame Walbridge]

I agree, and a very good bird for Bangkok! Very few records in Thailand away from the Mekong and the far north as far as I'm aware.

They are quite localised in the N and extreme E of the country. This is a 1st year bird on account of dull brown cap, some buff on lower throat + unmoulted outer remiges. According to The Birds of the Bangkok Area (Appendix 1) only 1 previous record for the Lower Central Plains.

Grahame

 

[Aladdin]

Swallow is Wire-tailed I think.

Thank you Andy Adcock

That's the only bird fitting the description, expect for that it would be out of range as per my book. Northern and eastern Thailand

Kind Regards
Aladdin

 

[Aladdin]

The swallow could be one of those. Wire-tailed??

https://birdcount.in/identifying-swallows/

Thank you 01101001!

Thats the only one fitting as per my book, but out of range

Kind Regards
Aladdin

 

[Aladdin]

pale eyes, slightly more massive bill than blackheaded, and the head spot looks bigger and more rounded to me than in typical blackheaded.
there would also be some size difference if you saw them together and in flying birds wing pattern is different

Thanks again Joern!

I know about the different shapes of the head, but when they are not together I am not able to see the difference. For me it is only easy to see the difference in flight.

I appreciate that you took the time and I learn a little everyday!

Cheers
Aladdin

 

[Aladdin]

Agree with Yellow Wagtail, Wire-tailed Swallow, and Brown-headed Gull

Thank you Indobirder!

Highly appreciated!

Kind Regards
Aladdin

 

[johnallcock]

I'm not very familiar with Wire-tailed Swallow, but why isn't this an unmoulted juvenile Barn Swallow? The throat on young birds often fades to white over the course of the winter, until replaced by fresh rufous feathers when the bird moults - this would explain why the lower throat shows some rufous. The brownish crown could also be retained, faded juvenile feathers, especially combined with the backlighting providing a contrast, and I think I can see some difference between a paler forehead and darker crown. There seem to be a few blue feathers at the side of the breast, in the right location for the breast band (which is weaker on gutturalis than on some other subspecies), whereas there are no apparent blue feathers behind the legs, as shown on photos of Wire-tailed. The tail shape is hard to judge but seems to have a 2nd feather about half way along the length of the longest feather, suggesting a more gradual fork rather than the more square-tipped shape of Wire-tailed. Do you have any more photos, Aladdin?

Edit: Adding photos to hopefully illustrate what I'm trying to say with the head pattern:

ML419100721 - Barn Swallow - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML419100721; © Gerald Moore; Tak, Thailand

macaulaylibrary.org

ML612481957 - Barn Swallow - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML612481957; © Gerald Moore; Tak, Thailand

macaulaylibrary.org

ML303592261 - Barn Swallow (Buff-bellied) - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML303592261; © Wouter Van Gasse; Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand

macaulaylibrary.org

 

[johnallcock]

I agree the wagtail is first winter Yellow. I'm not sure whether you tell if it's Western thunbergi or Eastern macronyx, which both have a dark grey head and little or no supercilium. I guess macronyx is more likely in Bangkok?

 

[Grahame Walbridge]

I'm not very familiar with Wire-tailed Swallow, but why isn't this an unmoulted juvenile Barn Swallow? The throat on young birds often fades to white over the course of the winter, until replaced by fresh rufous feathers when the bird moults - this would explain why the lower throat shows some rufous. The brownish crown could also be retained, faded juvenile feathers, especially combined with the backlighting providing a contrast, and I think I can see some difference between a paler forehead and darker crown. There seem to be a few blue feathers at the side of the breast, in the right location for the breast band (which is weaker on gutturalis than on some other subspecies), whereas there are no apparent blue feathers behind the legs, as shown on photos of Wire-tailed. The tail shape is hard to judge but seems to have a 2nd feather about half way along the length of the longest feather, suggesting a more gradual fork rather than the more square-tipped shape of Wire-tailed. Do you have any more photos, Aladdin?

Should have been much more cautious with this especially given the significance of the record. On reflection agree with anomalies John has raised which are at odds with Wire-tailed and combined indicate transitional young Barn Swallow.

Grahame

 

[Aladdin]

I agree the wagtail is first winter Yellow. I'm not sure whether you tell if it's Western thunbergi or Eastern macronyx, which both have a dark grey head and little or no supercilium. I guess macronyx is more likely in Bangkok?

Thank you johnallcock!

I reported the bird as an Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Manchurian) Motacilla tschutschensis macronyx Mongolian Yellow Wagtail in my book from Thailand

Kind Regards
Aladdin

 

[Aladdin]

I'm not very familiar with Wire-tailed Swallow, but why isn't this an unmoulted juvenile Barn Swallow? The throat on young birds often fades to white over the course of the winter, until replaced by fresh rufous feathers when the bird moults - this would explain why the lower throat shows some rufous. The brownish crown could also be retained, faded juvenile feathers, especially combined with the backlighting providing a contrast, and I think I can see some difference between a paler forehead and darker crown. There seem to be a few blue feathers at the side of the breast, in the right location for the breast band (which is weaker on gutturalis than on some other subspecies), whereas there are no apparent blue feathers behind the legs, as shown on photos of Wire-tailed. The tail shape is hard to judge but seems to have a 2nd feather about half way along the length of the longest feather, suggesting a more gradual fork rather than the more square-tipped shape of Wire-tailed. Do you have any more photos, Aladdin?

Edit: Adding photos to hopefully illustrate what I'm trying to say with the head pattern:

ML419100721 - Barn Swallow - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML419100721; © Gerald Moore; Tak, Thailand

macaulaylibrary.org

ML612481957 - Barn Swallow - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML612481957; © Gerald Moore; Tak, Thailand

macaulaylibrary.org

ML303592261 - Barn Swallow (Buff-bellied) - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML303592261; © Wouter Van Gasse; Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand

macaulaylibrary.org

Thanks johnallcock!

No more pictures, I got a few pictures, same pose but with the head turned away so not possible to see the throat. This was the only picture that was any good

Kind Regards
Aladdin

 

[Aladdin]

Should have been much more cautious with this especially given the significance of the record. On reflection agree with anomalies John has raised which are at odds with Wire-tailed and combined indicate transitional young Barn Swallow.

Grahame

Thank you Grahame Walbridge!

I reported the bird as a Wire tail in eBird and they are usually quick to come back if there is any incorrect ID

Kind Regards
Aladdin