some birds ID, Kathmandu, Nepal - Jan 2023 (1 Viewer)

[mitra.daneshvar]

Hello all,

I took these photos yesterday in Godavari Botanical Garden, near Kathmandu. For most part, I just want to make sure my IDs are correct, but there were some warblers which I couldn't identify and I don't have good photos of them.

1. I have only this photo. Could it be Rufous-bellied Niltava?
2 & 3. Based on the patch pattern of the wing, is it Scarlet Minivet?
4. I think it might be the female minivet of the same species. But I know it is not identifiable, just might help for Id of male minivet.
5. Is it Bronze Drongo?
6. Is there any chance to ID if it's Chestnut-bellied or White-tailed Nuthatch? I don't have better photos.
7-10. I'm not sure if all the photos are of the same bird. But the chances are high that all be the same bird.

Thanks in advance,
Mitra

 

[andyb39]

1. This could well be the Niltava. It looks fairly plump and appears to have an orange lower belly and the lower back is contrasting bright blue. There's a bit of a paler blue shoulder patch. My only misgivings are that it seems to have a bit of a brow rather than a shiny blue crown and the legs look pink. If the lower belly is orange on the other hand, that would rule out Himalayan Bluetail, which doesn't seem to be present here.
2-4. Yes, Scarlet Minivet because of the "tertial drops" or red splashes on the tertials. I'm not going to attempt the female.
5. Bronzed Drongo looks correct.
6. Really difficult. I don't see white at the base of the tail. The underparts coloration is quite pale orange but this might fit female Chestnut-bellied. Dark flight feathers could point to either species. Sorry, not sure.
7 & 9. The behaviour and longer conical bill with an orange-pink lower mandible might suggest Blyth's Leaf Warbler. Impossible to be sure though.
8. I think this is a different species, perhaps another Buff-barred. The lower wing bar is broad and orange-yellow in colour and the tertials seem to have pale tips. I could be wrong though - the crown pattern may point to Blyth's Leaf.
10. Seems to have a smaller dark bill - possibly Hume's Leaf with that very broad supercilium?

 

[johnallcock]

Could the drongo be Lesser Racket-tailed lacking the streamers? The tail shape seems better for that, being fairly square rather than forked as on Bronzed. Head shape and pattern look better too IMO.

 

[mitra.daneshvar]

Could the drongo be Lesser Racket-tailed lacking the streamers? The tail shape seems better for that, being fairly square rather than forked as on Bronzed. Head shape and pattern look better too IMO.

Actually you're right. The tail seems better for Lesser Racket-tailed, I just thought it always has these long tails, but it is possible not to have them, too. Right?

 

[andyb39]

Could the drongo be Lesser Racket-tailed lacking the streamers? The tail shape seems better for that, being fairly square rather than forked as on Bronzed. Head shape and pattern look better too IMO.

It crossed my mind but then I found an image of Bronzed photographed in Nepal which looked like a good match. Maybe I should check it again. The tail shape was bothering me actually - it didn't seem forked enough.

 

[andyb39]

Actually you're right. The tail seems better for Lesser Racket-tailed, I just thought it always has these long tails, but it is possible not to have them, too. Right?

They're frequently missing a streamer or even both. They seem to be quite fragile and snap off.