Hi Gwenyth,
Can you remember what the bird’s nostrils looked like? It is a bit hard to see from the photo whether they are raised away from the bill rather than just opening in the top mandible. If they are raised then you do have a cuckoo but at this stage it is a bit hard to tell what species. From the colouration I am inclined to think it may be a Willie Wagtail but won’t put money on it. Tell your friends to keep an eye on it and if it outgrows the nest then it will be a cuckoo, possibly either a Pallid or Brush.
Cheers,
Mark
From: Kevin and Gwenyth Bray [
Sent: Friday, 3 January 2014 8:19 PM
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] Wagtail chick
Is this a wagtail chick? It is in a nest on a farm near Bredbo, where three eggs had been laid. Now there is only one chick and it looked very big for its stage of development, so I was wondering if it might be a pallid cuckoo chick.
Can anyone enlighten me? Our friends are away for a few days, but I have asked them to keep their eyes on its growth after they return.
02 6251 2087
0406 376 878 (mobile Kevin)
0409 584 342 (mobile Gwenyth)
