Two birds

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ChrisH
ChrisH's picture
Two birds

Hi. I've had trouble identifying these two birds. Any help would be great! They were taken near Warwick, Queensland.

Thanks.

Amateur

Red Browed Finch is the first one, and the second one might be a white browed scrubwren?

Amateur

More likely a female redthroat now that I think about it.

ed
ed's picture

Hi Chris
#1 is a RBF, but the rofous brow make me think #2 could be a juv Grey Shrike-thrush.

Ed Townsville NQ

Amateur

I'll second that, had a bit of trouble finding the Grey strike thrush in my field guide because they has numbered the strike-thrushes page wrong.

birdie
birdie's picture

Hey Ed, Good to see you're still around. I am no expert but I have been looking at pictures of juv shrike thrushes on Graham Chapman's site and they seem to be a bit different from this bird. This one has quite a streak over the eye rather than in front of it. I am wondering how big it was compared to the red browed finch?

Just a thought :)

Cheers
Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Amateur

Might be too far east for a redthroat but it still could possibly be a juv or female one. Assuming both birds are same (which they look like to me) size it rules out the thrush. White Browed Scrubwren juv. are brown, not grey. Might toss up some birds, perhaps a juv. chestnut rumped thornbill which hasn't developed its chestnut rump or otherwise a juv. grey whistler race: simplex, but otherwse it seems like a gerygone maybe because of the "eyebrow" it has. And ridiculous as it may sound it resembles a white breasted robin, but that is only found in select parts of the Northern Territory. Did you hear any noises it made? If you could remember any noises it made please tell us, would help majorly. It could also be a robin suffering from leucism which would mean it wouldn't have it's normal colours and would be paler than usual, for more read up on this and take a look at the bird in the photo from the article. They look quite similar if you ask me. http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00257/bi185_257104a.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3075737.ece&usg=__w_HLOOoFFBsKD0WXbtn54RYgNRQ=&h=185&w=185&sz=9&hl=en&start=12&sig2=ssRByNl_PuBLWO5YO_SqVA&um=1&tbnid=40fBXSy8CdwGeM:&tbnh=102&tbnw=102&prev=/images%3Fq%3DWhite%2BRobin%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1&ei=6bQ4S7j3Ns-HkAXdp93LDg
It's a times article on leucism, hopes this might solve your mystery bird, cheers.

ChrisH
ChrisH's picture

Thanks for the replies everyone.

In my guide, the Red Browed Finch didn't have the white on the top of the bill which is seen on the bird I photographed. Are these types of variations common?

I didn't hear any calls from the second bird. I do think it was slightly larger than the Red Browed Finch though.

Thanks for the help.

Chris H - Photographer

birdie
birdie's picture

I give up. I thought maybe a brown gerygone but it may be too big for that. Where is Denis Wilson when we need him?
He usually knows the answers to most ID's

cheers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Amateur

I thought that the white bit may just be sunlight on the finch's beak? Must agree, where has Denis Gone!

birdie
birdie's picture

Bit of confusion there Amateur. It is agreed that the first bird is the Red BF but it is the 2nd bird we are deciding on I thought. definitely not the same bird .

Cheers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Amateur

I was replying to ChrisH who said the red browed finch in his guide didn't have the white on the top of the beak. Lol, that second bird is a mystery, where has Denis got to?!

guzzi
guzzi's picture

Hi Birdie, which Graham Chapman are you talking about and what's the website address.

Cheers
John

birdie
birdie's picture

Hi Guzzi

the site is http://www.graemechapman.com.au/cgi-bin/viewphotos.php?c=469

Good series of photos with lots of different perspectives on the same bird.

cheers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

birdie
birdie's picture

Amateur, you are right , the white bit is just a reflection of light of the top of his beak

birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

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