Red Beak

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Susy
Susy's picture
Red Beak

Would anyone know if a young Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike has a red beak? I took a photo of what a thought was a young greyish bird with a red beak near Bundaberg in Qld recently. Closest I could think was a the bird I mentioned above.
I posted a photo at http://birdwatchersonline.net/forum/showthread.php?t=452
I'd be grateful for an ID.
Susannah

bushanwater
bushanwater's picture

How big is it Suzy. At the moment i'm thinking female mistletoe bird. They are very small about the size of a finch and that does look like mistletoe in the bottom corner of your pic.

See Yez
Trev

DenisWilson
DenisWilson's picture

Hi Susy
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Bushie is on the money with the Mistletoebird.
I would suggest a Juvenile. BiBY says they have orange bill - females have dark beaks.
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/bird/134
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Under tail is starting to colour up, which helps confirm ID.
See photo of female on that site.
Hope that link helps satisfy your query.
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Only question is: (and I do not mean to be rude) but how could you think Cuckoo-Shrike, which is some 5 times larger?
A sense of scale (size) is a very important clue for us, in trying to ID birds from photos.
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Cheers
Denis

Susy
Susy's picture

Thanyou all. Its so helpful to have some experienced opinion. I can see now that is a juv mistletoebird.
Denis wondered why I thought Black-faced Cuckoo shrike. These birds were also around and with there grey feathers I thought this may be a juv that hadn't developed its facial colouring.
I appreciate all your assisstance. Its great!
B Regards
Susy

DenisWilson
DenisWilson's picture

Susy
.
I was not having a go at you, but the point I am trying to make is that most song birds ("passerines") are full sized when they leave the nest.
Young birds of most species are not "scaled down" versions of the adults. That's why I commented.
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Many people think that young birds must be smaller than adults. Of course they are - when first hatched and naked. But for birds which build nests, they do not leave the nest until they are fully feathered and full sized.
It is mainly ground nesting birds, such as Samuel's baby Plovers (Lapwings) and Gulls and Terns, which are fledged while still small. Those birds run when their feathers are dry (just as with a domestic chicken). They cannot fly until they are nearly fully grown. That's why they hide and depend upon camouflage, or protection from adults (dive bombing).
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But the song birds (and parrots and birds of prey too) stay in the nest until they can fly. By then, they are more or less fully sized. Often they have juvenile plumage, but they are roughly the same size as adult birds.
Cheers
Denis

Susy
Susy's picture

Thanks Dennis,
Absolutely no problem at all and as a novice birder I greatly appreciate your help and guidance.
Best Regards,
Susy

bushanwater
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Well done as ussual Denis. Just the soet of thing a forum is about.imho.

See Yez
Trev

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