Tasmanian Silvereyes - a FINAL word

["Geoffrey Dabb" <>]

I don’t know whether it was my message to John that triggered his fit of mock-exasperation, but it equals my own occasional exasperation at the non-linear, non-cumulative and hence repetitive nature of exchanges on this chatline.  I had drawn his – and Margaret’s – attention to the below information offered just last October.

 

IN SHORT:   Field guides are often poor in matters of fine detail particularly with variable species.  Individuals of this species can vary a lot.  On the available information, both races that occur here can – in the right light -  have pronounced rusty flanks and yellow chins.  As a general rule, in the hand, westernensis has paler and less well-demarcated flanks.  It is also more solidly yellow on the chin but some individuals can look the same as lateralis in that regard.  

 

Silvereye races

from [Geoffrey Dabb]		[Permanent Link][Original]
To:	< >
Subject:	Silvereye races
From:	"Geoffrey Dabb" < >
Date:	Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:50:27 +1100

 

....   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: John Layton [
Sent: Friday, 14 May 2010 8:35 PM
To: Canberra Birds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Tasmanian Silvereyes - a FINAL word

 

OK, OK, so I don’t know what I’m talking about. So I quit. Quit chatline. Quit COG and birding. Take up live pigeon shooting.

 

JKL