This bird arrived for a cool drink in my garden in south of Melbourne Vic. The nearest id. I can find is a female Rose Robin. Any suggestions please ?
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Looks a little large - what about a grey shrike-thrush?
I think Holly is right, Grey Shrike-Thrush, I just looked at the many photos I have , there are very common in my garden. Although most of them have a lighter coloured beak, but others are darker.
M-L
Thanks for the replies. I am new at this so I should have given the size as well. After measuring the stick the bird was on, it's only 13cm long. My photo was with a 400mm lens so it's size is not obvious.
Keefsmit
I'm no expert but the beak's wrong for a robin and it's too small for a shrike-thrush (approx 24cm). Looks whistler-ish to me. Golden? Race youngi which is in your neck of the woods? (Simpson & Day, p233)
Wendy
Mandurah, WA
Peel-Yalgorup System Ramsar Site
http://www.flickr.com/photos/girlinoz/
I am in the Mornington Peninsular area in Vic. which limits a few likely birds.
Keefsmit
Pretty sure it's a female Golden Whistler ...
http://www.fluffyfeathers.com/index.php?x=goldenwhistler
http://www.mdahlem.net/birds/20/goldwhis.php
dozens of pics here ... http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=golden%20whistler%20female
Wendy
Mandurah, WA
Peel-Yalgorup System Ramsar Site
http://www.flickr.com/photos/girlinoz/
Thanks Wendy, I have to apologize, when I looked at the bird, my first thought was female Golden Whistler. But then it looked big and I changed my mind. Shame on me, I have a few in my own garden. The beak is GW, and the redish eye.
M-L
M-L
Thanks WendyK. Looking at the links you supplied, it does look like the female Golden Whistler. My bird ref. book doen't always have very accurate illustrations. I haven't seen any males about, so maybe this young lady is still looking too.
Keefsmit
Well done wendyk on the ID .
Small brown birds are always harder ID?
Another way to ID these brown birds if they are still hanging around the garden ,is by the way it searches for insects in trees and bushes. Slowly working it's way up the tree, branch hopping, tilting the head sideways and looking upwards. I believe it's using the sunlight to see silhouettes of feeding caterpillars or katydids, on leaves that are so well camouflaged from above. It is so much easier for the bird to find them from underneath.
Just my theory of watching these birds?
Nightowl ...
See it! Hear it!
Mid-North Coast NSW
A fascinating hypothesis, Nightowl. All we need now is some bright undergraduate to test it.
Well Nightowl, I have seen them find insects like you describe, but I thought they might turn their head sideways because they listen to noises the insects make, and that's how they find them. Much like a Thrush tilts her head to listen to the sounds insects in the ground make. That's my theory.
M-L
Well M. lL.
I like that theory as well . Most birds have specialised ways of finding food. In that way they don't clash with other birds when feeding in mixed flocks in trees.
See it! Hear it!
Mid-North Coast NSW
Australian magpies do the same when feeding on the ground.
What a great discussion inspired by that little bird - I love hearing all your theories.
Alison
~~~~~~
"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
HI I photographed these two birds in Sept 2012. They were together and I believe they are male and female Flame Robins very similar to a Rose Robin so may assist you with ID in the future.
Hi Ro, they are Scarlet Robins.
M-L
Forgot to say, in the male Flame Robin, the throat is red all the way to the beak, but in the male Scarlet the breast is is red, but the throat is black. )I have both and a female Red-capped in my garden)
M-L
Oooooops my mistake yes you are right, sorry.
Ro