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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Carl Beel" data-source="post: 3434200" data-attributes="member: 138659">Some interesting arguments in the discussion above, but I remain with my original identification of Collared Palm Thrush. As was pointed out, identification from a still picture is sometimes more challenging. The challenge is how to convince everyone.Thrush Nightingale has already been ruled out. Additionally, according to the Zambian atlas (2008), records are all between 12 November and 10 April, with some records from 02 November or up to 21 April less convincing.Spotted Flycatcher has also been ruled out. Interestingly both Spotted Flycatcher and Collared Palm Thrush are now in the family of Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae) (as is Thrush Nightingale). So this suggestion is not so unexpected.The main debate is between Collared Palm Thrush and Grey-olive Bulbul. The Palm Thrush is very common near Livingstone, such as near the entrance of the local national park while the bulbul is only known from several 100 kilometres away.Collared Palm Thrush is mostly found near palm trees, while Grey-olive Bulbul moves through tangled undergrowth along streams. The bird is actually perching in a palm tree, not a feature of the bird but definitely not arguing against Collared Palm Thrush.The collar of the palm thrush is not always easy to see. It could easily be invisible from this position. The photo with the bright red tail shows a bird looking back over the shoulder, which is not what the bird in the original photo is doing.The collar itself is somewhat variable and is not always as clear and wide a black band and can be incomplete.The bird is sitting very upright, the bulbul is usually more in a horizontal position, as in the additional pictures of Grey-olive Bulbul.The tail is not bright rufous, but this is an argument more against the bulbul than against the palm thrush. Grey-olive bulbul is always obviously rufous-tailed, while in the palm thrush it varies from fairly bright to much duller.The shape of the tail, with square corners, fits with collared palm thrush but not with the bulbul, which has rounded corners and a narrower looking tail.The eye colour is not much visible but for what it is worth appears more greyish white than pinkish or rufous. In Zambia Collared Palm Thrush usually has whitish or greyish white eyes.As Bryon has mentioned, Collared Palm Thrush often confuses observers who are not familiar with the species. Not a real argument, but the starting point for this discussion.</blockquote>

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