On 1 June, I found and photographed two different flocks of Yellow-rumped
Mannikins near Timber Creek. The first flock was near Policeman's Point and
had between 20 and 30 birds in it while the second flock was only about 6 birds
and was at the airstrip.
In reviewing my images, I found that many individuals were missing feathers in
the lores and around the eye and cheek. They appear to have a similiar pattern
to the juvenile Chestnut-breasted and Pictorella Mannikins as illustrated in
Pizzey and Knight, 7th ed. The juvenile Yellow-rumped doesn't have the missing
feathers illustrated. Slater doesn't illustrate the lack of facial feathers in
the juvenile Chestnut-breasted and doesn't illustrate Juvenile Yellow-rumped or
Pictorellas at all. Furthermore, Simpson and Day does the same thing.
So my question is this, is this simply a molting pattern or is it something
else? The birds appear to be in adult plumage otherwise, I believe. Below is
a link to some photos. Click on the thumbnails for larger views. Thanks for
any help or ideas on this.
http://www.ofemusandfairywrens.com/galleries/thumbnails.php?album=378
Drew
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Drew Fulton
Of Emus and Fairy-wrens: Photographing Australia's Endemic Birds
www.ofEmusandFairyWrens.com
www.drewfulton.com
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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