|
On a tip off yesterday I finally managed to twitch
the red-eared firetail. A few fairy-wrens bouncing around and another bird
landed on a lone stem, and it was it.
Now, this bird had no red-ear coverts, which
denotes it as a juvenille. However, it did not have the black beak of a
juv., it's beak was red (tending towards orange). This isn't pictured in
any of my field guides but can someone please confirm that this is normal for
the species. For all intents and purposes in retrospect it looked just
like a Beautiful firetail - an eastern species rather than a south-west
endemic. I didn't realise that the belly pattern was diagnostic and so
paid absolutely no attention to it and can't recall if it was spots or
stripes. I'm assuming it was spots. What are the chances of going to
a spot for red-eared firetails and seeing a lone, aviary release beautiful
firetail?
Belinda
Perth
|
