Geoff
The relevant text from Bander’s Aid is copied below. If this is to be trusted, the all black bill and emerging adult plumage of your bird suggests it is probably in its second year.
Harvey
Immature (1 or 2-). Bill; upper mandible, black; lower mandible, pink brown.
Palate, orange yellow. Gape, yellow fading to cream. Eye, brown. Plumage as adult female but with heavier streaking on underparts, particularly the undertail coverts.
Sub-adult male (2- spring, 2 summer). Bill black. Palate, pale rufous.
Gape, black. Adult male markings can be seen emerging faintly on upper breast and cheeks. Dark streaks on all underparts.
Adult male (2+ autumn, 3+ spring). Bill, black. Palate, black. Gape, black.
Eye, red brown. Upperparts, grey. Black facial mask extends down side of neck around breast in broad band separating white throat from rufous underparts.
From: Geoffrey
Dabb [
Sent: Thursday, 31 October 2013 11:57 AM
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] Ageing whislers
Near the horse crossing in Campbell Park is a female Ruf Whistler (left) apparently paired with a sub-adult male (upper middle). The 2 lower middle are ‘enhancements’ showing how such editing can change the appearance of the plumage.
What they do bring out is the rufous in the face, quite a contrast from a mature male (right). I wonder if the sub-adult is a first year bird. It is doing a lot of territorial singing.
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