Oh dear, Tobias, a photograph (shudder). In my experience
colours are so difficult and for photos to be any use on fine points about colour,
any editing at all, even light sharpening should be avoided as this definitely
changes colour slightly. If you were comparing 2 subjects they would have
to be shot in identical light including angle etc Then there are
different monitor settings between yours and the next persons etc See
below why this might be important.
However, not being any kind of expert on this (although having
puzzled over it before) I shall just cite a couple of authorities on the adults
only, both based, I assume, on painstaking examination of specimens –
THE DIRECTORY: lateralis – “throat pale
grey, tinged variably pale citrine yellow; breast clear mid grey, grading extensively
deep russet-cinnamon over flanks ...” : westernensis –
throat light citrine-yellow, the tone often restricted to upper throat;
breast clear mid-grey, grading pale to mid dull russet brown over flanks
...”
HANZAB mentions varying factors such as age, state of moult,
where collected etc: lateralis – “Chin and throat whitish
grey or greyish white in centre, grading to pale yellow-olive or yellow at
sides; some birds have a faint yellow-olive wash on centre of chin and throat.
... Flanks and sides of belly, light brown or warm brown, fairly sharply
demarcated from belly ... slight differences between males and females in
colour of flanks”. Westernensis – “ ... chin and
throat yellow-olive or yellow, usually grading slightly paler ... on centre of
chin and throat; in a few birds, yellow-olive does not extend to centre
of chin and throat, these resembling most richly pigmented nominate [[[ie
lateralis]]]” “UNDERPARTS: As nominate, but flanks
paler cinnamon brown or light brown in both sexes, fairly diffusely demarcated
from duller off-white belly and vent; some birds have a faint pale yellow
tinge to belly and vent ...” [[[Colour-guide citations omitted ]]]
From: Tobias Hayashi
[
Sent: Thursday, 22 October 2009 4:58 PM
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] Silvereye races
I
am just seeking clarification on the different races of Silvereyes we get
around here. I am aware that we usually get race familiaris (or westernensis,
or whatever the right terminology is these days) here, and that race lateralis
(the buff-flanked Tasmanian one) comes from Tasmania and winters here (or at
least part of that population does).
Clarification
would be much appreciated.The photo was taken quite recently at Cooleman Ridge.
