Wagtail chick

["Philip Veerman" <>]

The feet are diagnostic (don't show in the photo). WW is a passerine, so each foot 3 toes forward & 1 back. Cuckoos have zygodactyl feet, 2 toes forward & 2 back.

 

Philip

 

-----Original Message-----From: Mark Clayton [ Sent: Friday, 3 January 2014 9:06 PM      To: 'Kevin and Gwenyth Bray';       Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Wagtail chick

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 PMTo:
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.

 

 

Gwenyth Bray

 

 

 

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