G'day Ross and Greg,
The bird is in tail moult, central feathers missing, but the tail is totally
wrong shape for Spinfexbird in my opinion, which has a more graduated tail
and spectacularly long tail coverts ah la Locustella Warbler. The tail
effectively merges into the contours of the body on a Spifexbird via the
coverts. This must aid squeezing through tight Spinifex, they almost seem to
swim through the Spinfex tussock using legs to push. The tarsus is also
wrong on this bird, too long, but structurally everything is in place for a
Rufous Songlark.
Cheers Jeff.
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of Ross
Macfarlane
Sent: Saturday, 22 October 2011 1:16 PM
To: Greg & Val Clancy; michael wood; John Graff; ;
Subject: Unidentified bird - Cue, WA
http://worldbirds.eu/abcs/spinifexbird.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alwyn_simple/3592076598/
http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/spinifexbird-eremiornis-carteri/distant-bird-pe
rched
I'm convinced...
-----Original Message-----
From: Greg & Val Clancy
Sent: Saturday, October 22, 2011 12:05 PM
To: michael wood ; John Graff ; ;
Subject: Unidentified bird - Cue, WA
Although I have never seen a Spinifexbird in the wild I also firstly thought
of that species. The tail appears too long for a Rufous Songlark. It is
very dark for a Rufous Songlark and the photo of the Spinifexbird in the
Readers Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds show a dark bird like the
one in the photo.
Regards
Greg
Dr Greg. P. Clancy
Ecologist and Wildlife Guide
Coutts Crossing
NSW
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