Another early walk at the dam this morning found me in company with what I think may have been a singing bush lark. From the field guide, that's what it appears to be. Please, can anyone give a positive ID?
What Bird is That?
Mon, 15/06/2009 - 19:00
#1
tarkineus
What Bird is That?
Hi Tark
It is almost certainly not a Singing Bushlark.
At first I was inclined to suggest it might be in the Thrush family. I went looking for Song Thrush, but it is said to be restricted to suburbs of Melbourne. That bird looks very like the native Bassian Thrush (Ground Thrush) i.e., more heavily striped than your bird.
Juvenile Grey Shrike-Thrushes have the rufous traces visible on your bird (as do the related Whistlers). They also have light stripes on the chest. But I have never seen one so strongly marked as yours. But that is the best I can suggest.
The BiBY site says: "young birds have varying amounts of rufous on the cheeks and wings." That fits.
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/finder/display.cfm?id=17
My blog shows several photos of GSTs, one close-up showing the stripes, but not the rufous eyebrow. If you saw the bird's back that ought settle it. They have a brownish "saddle" which is diagnostic.
http://peonyden.blogspot.com/2008/09/rain-clears-to-delightful-spring-sunset.html
.
Failing that, a female Rufous Whistler might be another possibility. But personally I think the eye and beak are too big for the Whistler.
Cheers
Denis
Denis Wilson
www.peonyden.blogspot.com
Hi tarkineus,
I agree with Denis, as it looks very much like the bird I'm holding in my hand...juv Grey Shrike-thrush...
cheers,
al
IMG]http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd286/algolden1/zzz.jpg[/IMG]
Cheers,
al
Central Victoria
https://sites.google.com/site/blackhillreservekyneton/home
Cheers,
al
Central Victoria
https://sites.google.com/site/blackhillreservekyneton/home
Not common around Townsville but first thought was 'shrike-thrush' and a look at field guides seems to confirm, Juv. Grey. Great picture.
Ed Townsville NQ
Hi Tark
Sing Bushlark, very variable in colour, sometimes matching local soil colours. One of our local Townsville birds...
Ed Townsville NQ
[/b]Hi Dennis, Many thanks for taking time to look it up and get back to me. OK, I'll take it that it's a Juvenile Grey Shrike-Thrush, at least provisionally until I see if I can get a few more clearer shots of the same bird at the same location - although I haven't enough experience to know how likely it is that I could just go there and bingo, it would turn up for a photo session - very unlikely I would think.
If it can't be positively ID'ed within a certain time, am I entitled to claim it as a new species and call it a Tark Lark? :-)
g'day al, it's a bit hard to see with your hand covering most of it. Thanks for helping anyway, mate.
Thanks ed[b], from your pic, I think Denis is right, my bird isn't a singing bushlark.
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour
I tried to reply to you all in one thread - sorry about the mess and hope that each of you can sort it out. It would great if Raymond Camden would add an editing button to our posts.
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour
Sorry - for my confusion. I repeated the BiBY Bird finder link
The one you wanted is:
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/forum/messages.cfm?threadid=E0FFF80C-A7D2-8249-9D594E594415595E
It is located under "Best Photos" section of the forum
"What bird is that" - by Tark.
Denis
Denis Wilson
www.peonyden.blogspot.com
Hi Denis, that link just returns me to this topic???
You're confused? ... you could see the random thoughts inside my head, all running about aimlessly like rabbits in a bushfire mate.
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour