Hi Phil (& others),
This thread seems to have a new lease on life! Below is a response I sent
offline to a couple of people re. the possibility of Spinifexbird with a couple
of additions
"Thanks for your thoughts. It does look similar to a Spinifexbird, and this was
mentioned in our initial discussions on the ID. However, I feel the tail
details don't quite fit [Jeff has probably described this better] - it appears
relatively too short, and lacks the barring on the undertail (see
http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/spinifexbird-eremiornis-carteri/distant-bird-perched
for comparison). Additionally, the Cue area would be well out of range for
Spinifexbird [Rufous Songlark were around], and the habitat was mulga scrub
with little groundcover, and definitely no spinifex. Also the bird was
photographed at the top of a dead mulga - whilst Spinifexbird does like to pop
up into low bushes, they rarely seem to venture much higher than a metre or so
off the ground [in my experience]."
So whilst the shape may be slightly atypical for Rufous Songlark (depending on
who you ask!), I think it is also wrong for a Spinifexbird, and it would be far
more likely to have a slightly odd Rufous Songlark at the site (particularly
judging from one photo - unfortunately I don't think there are any others),
than to have an odd-looking Spinifexbird well out of range in unusual habitat
exhibiting atypical behaviour (perching atop a fairly tall mulga). I would be
wary of judging the darkness of the bird too much off a single photo, as I
suspect it will vary depending on lighting. I'm still of the firm opinion that
it's a Rufous Songlark - however, I've asked the two people who saw it if they
can add anything about behaviour, which may further clarify.
Also agree with Phil (and one of the commentators on the page itself) that the
bird at http://www.flickr.com/photos/alwyn_simple/3592076598/ is a Rufous
Songlark rather than a Spinifexbird
Always good to have a decent ID discussion!
Cheers,
John
> From:
> To: ; ; ;
> ; ;
> Subject: Unidentified bird - Cue, WA
> Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:15:29 +1100
>
> Hello Jeff,
>
> Sorry I'm lost. How do you judge tail coverts from this photo? It
> doesn't look like a Rufous Songlark to me. The head shape looks strange
> for a Rufous Songlark. Given that the bird is in tail moult, if the
> central feathers were there, I suggest the tail would be way too long
> for a Rufous Songlark. As for looking like a Spinfexbird, I have only
> seen one in 1981, so I'm not familiar enough to judge. It looks too dark
> in the front to be either of these. Does it need to be an Australian
> species? Perhaps the person who took the photo can tell us more about
> it, other things like what it was doing, other field marks. One poor
> photo is not much to guess on. I do believe though that the alleged
> Spinfexbird at http://www.flickr.com/photos/alwyn_simple/3592076598/ is
> a Rufous Songlark.
>
> Philip
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
> On Behalf Of Jeff
> Davies
> Sent: Saturday, 22 October 2011 2:19 PM
> To: 'Ross Macfarlane'; 'Greg & Val Clancy'; 'michael wood'; 'John
> Graff'; ;
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Unidentified bird - Cue, WA
>
>
> G'day Ross and Greg,
>
>
> The bird is in tail moult, central feathers missing, but the tail is
> totally wrong shape for Spinfexbird in my opinion, which has a more
> graduated tail and spectacularly long tail coverts ah la Locustella
> Warbler. The tail effectively merges into the contours of the body on a
> Spifexbird via the coverts. This must aid squeezing through tight
> Spinifex, they almost seem to swim through the Spinfex tussock using
> legs to push. The tarsus is also wrong on this bird, too long, but
> structurally everything is in place for a Rufous Songlark.
>
> Cheers Jeff.
>
> -----Original Message-----From:
> On Behalf Of Ross
> Macfarlane
> Sent: Saturday, 22 October 2011 1:16 PM To: Greg & Val Clancy; michael
> wood; John Graff; ;
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Unidentified bird - Cue, WA
>
> http://worldbirds.eu/abcs/spinifexbird.htm
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/alwyn_simple/3592076598/
> http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/spinifexbird-eremiornis-carteri/distant-bir
> d-pe
> rched
>
> I'm convinced...
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Greg & Val Clancy Sent: Saturday,
> October 22, 2011 12:05 PM
> To: michael wood ; John Graff ; ;
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Unidentified bird -
> Cue, WA
>
> Although I have never seen a Spinifexbird in the wild I also firstly
> thought of that species. The tail appears too long for a Rufous
> Songlark. It is very dark for a Rufous Songlark and the photo of the
> Spinifexbird in the Readers Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds
> show a dark bird like the one in the photo.
>
> Regards
>
> Greg
> Dr Greg. P. Clancy
> Ecologist and Wildlife Guide
> Coutts Crossing
> NSW
>
>
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