canberrabirds

All white cuckoo-shrike?

Subject: All white cuckoo-shrike?
From: John Leonard <>
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2015 16:27:46 +1100
The Dutch bird watcher Pieter showed me a video he had of that same bird he had recorded there on Monday.

John Leonard

On 4 Feb 2015, at 2:30 pm, "Jenny Smits" <> wrote:

Dear bird lovers

 

I saw something strange today on my walk up Mt Ainslie walking track – about half way up the first steep bit – a brightly white bird, flying in and around the canopy at great speed after I suppose insects. At a distance the colour was like a brilliant white homing pidgeon but did not move like one.

 

On closer inspection it would flick its wings when settling into a perch so I thought, ‘Cuckoo-shrike’ and had the body shape, but I cannot find any bird to match it in the reference books – perhaps a variation? Or a juvenile.

 

I didn’t have binos so the intricacies were not noted but it did appear to have a dull area between the eye and beak but not black. Unless I am mistaken the tail and wings were full white (and brilliant white), no black markings, nor grey. It was in the canopy (yellow box) and I was looking up so I was more or less close enough to see when perched.

 

Perhaps someone else has seen this bird since it is on a major walking route? It was VERY noticeable. This was at lunch today (4th feb Wednesday) say about 1pm.

 

Thanks

 

Jenny Smits

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