Re: Unknown bird with unusual flight pattern

["Paul T." <>]

At 06:09 PM 23/07/2008, you wrote:
> Hi
> Paul
>  
> This is a suggestion to do with a fairly common
> bird, which I would think you would be familiar with. But maybe the light
> was different, or you just noticed something "odd" about the
> flight, which perhaps confused you.
>  
> Black-faced Cuckoo Shrikes tend to flap then glide,
> but from memory it is more like 3 flaps then a glide. But their flight is
> very distinctive. It always involves loss of altitude, and then they have
> to gain height again.

Denis,

That sounds a bit like how the Rosellas do it.... 3 flaps and then a sort
bit of a fall with their wings closed.  I have always thought
(perhaps incorrectly) that a glide has the wings extended.  The bird
I saw had it's wings totally folded in against itself between each flap,
and they spent more time folded than they did flapping.  To be
honest, I couldn't have told you if it was a black-faced cuckoo shrike as
I have rarely seen them.  I do not recall seeing a black face, but
it was flying across the road and my attention was caught by the usual
wing motion, and the fact it was very solidly built.  I didn't get
time to notice the face. <grin>  I saw about 8 flaps of the
wings, so it wasn't just one or two odd short ones..... this seemed like
it was it's normal flight mechanism.

Thanks to those who have responded here and privately.  Doesn't
sound like anyone else has found the flapping effect unusual like I did.
<sigh>

Cheers.

Paul T.
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