I have other suggestions:
Wing feather of a Rainbow Bee-eater, although I don’t understand
the size (John first wrote 4 cm then 9 cm), the yellow to orange colour looks
like a possible match, the green above appears to me to be too green. But may
be a possible option.
The green outer vane and mostly yellow inner vane would also fit
a tail feather of a either Scarlet-chested or Turquoise Parrot. But the orange
tint doesn’t fit and the shape doesn’t look right. And how would that get there
unless as Sue suggested it came off someone’s hat!
As for Rainbow Lorikeet, it isn’t a normal one of them but there
is a commercial aviary in Canberra that has lots of them, including hybrids
with Scaly-breasted and Musk in many combinations and they have some strange
messy colour patterns. There are probably similar captive mixed flocks
elsewhere. Though it is hard to see how that would produce that result, hybrid
origin may be an option to significantly alter the normal pattern of a wing
feather.
A foreign species or human carried in random feather. Very hard
to know where to start and finish on that. The most common foreign parrots are
lovebirds and Rose-ringed Parakeet and it doesn’t fit any of them.
As for Wompoo Fruit-Dove The new photo underneath actually adds
much less than I had hoped. The colour below being hardly different. But
clearly that conclusion is now not convincing. So that idea does not go towards
it. I am hampered by that I am not at a museum with access to skins and don’t
know that bird all that well and mainly that there is a significant discrepancy
between the books. Frith’s book says: “the underside of the primaries and
secondaries is grey-brown on the distal half, shading to chestnut on the
proximal half”. HANZAB underwing picture does show the inner webs of the
primaries as dull yellow. That does not match.
Maybe John can ask at the ANWC (CSIRO) museum.
Philip
From: Greg and Val Clancy
Sent: Sunday, 27 January, 2019 10:34 PM
To: Jill Dark; Philip Veerman; 'Greg and Val Clancy'; 'calyptorhynchus';
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] feather
Good
suggestion but this feather is green where it would be brown and has too much
yellow and the yellow area is the wrong shape.
Sent: Sunday, January 27,
2019 4:23 PM
To: Philip Veerman ; 'Greg and Val
Clancy' ; 'calyptorhynchus' ;
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus]
feather
Could it be
a female or immature Satin Bowerbird?
Sent: Sunday, January 27,
2019 3:11 PM
To: 'Greg and Val Clancy' ;
'calyptorhynchus' ;
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus]
feather
I looked at HANZAB too (today but not yesterday). Yes HANZAB
differs from the Pizzey & Knight field guide in that feature. I suspect
that is all it is. As to the question is which I more correct and are all
individuals the same? I don’t know. However the HANZAB underwing picture
does show the inner webs of the primaries as dull yellow (though the upperwing
picture does not). I don’t agree about “no
yellow patch in that species” but not as much of the feather as the one
John provided. I can’t find anything else that matches. The photo of the
feather that John provided shows the upperside. The colour we are commenting on
(not the green part) and comparing from these two references, is visible on
only the underside of the feathers. It would not be unusual for the underside
to be duller in colour than the upperside. So for now I still feel it matches.
If John provides another photo of the underside, I would like to see that. I
think that would help. I suspect it would be a better match.
Philip
From: Greg and Val Clancy
Sent: Sunday, 27 January, 2019 1:41 PM
To: Philip Veerman; 'calyptorhynchus';
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] feather
My first
impression as well was a Rainbow Lorikeet but that has been ruled out by Philip
and I agree with his reasons. It is not a Wompoo Fruit-Dove. I
checked in HANZAB and the underside of the remiges (primaries and secondaries)
are grey grading to chestnut at base – no yellow patch in that species. I
can’t see any other parrot or pigeon species that has that pattern. Could
it be a foreign cage bird that has escaped?
Ecologist
and Birding-wildlife Guide
Organizer,
Gould League Bird Study Camp Club,
Greens’
candidate for the state seat of Clarence,
| PO Box 63
Coutts Crossing NSW 2460
| 02 6649
3153 | 0429 601 960
I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners
of the lands on which I
live and work – the Gumbaynggirr, Yaegl and
Bundjalung peoples – and to pay
respect to their elders past, present and emerging
<HR>
<BR> Birding-Aus mailing list
<BR>
<BR> To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
<BR> http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
</HR>
