While Great Tit / Kohlmeise (Parus major) rather frequently imitates the calls of Common Chiffchaff / Zilpzalp (Phylloscopus collybita collybita) – see recordings here – I’ve not heard it giving a (to my ears) rather …
Continue readingKategorie: Identification
A male-like female Reed Bunting
Some female Common Reed Buntings / Rohrammern (Emberiza schoeniclus) approach the visual appearance of males. This is one such bird that initially caused some confusion. But its head is blackish-brown, not black as in males …
Continue readingPlumage variation in female Red-backed Shrikes
Females of Red-backed Shrike / Neuntöter (Lanius collurio) show some variety of plumage features. While the „typical“ female has a brown head and nape with a slight grey tinge and medium (reddish) brown ear coverts, …
Continue readingThe winner of the Eastern Marsh Harrier look-alike contest
The plumage of Western Marsh Harriers / Rohrweihen (Circus aeruginosus) can be amazingly variable thanks to different morphs, individual variation and depending on sex and age. Some variation in adult male Western Marsh Harriers: I …
Continue readingAerial display of Black Hawk-Eagle
While watching raptors over Los Tarrales (Suchitepéquez, Guatemala) in January 2020, I got these record shots of the striking flight display of an adult Black Hawk-Eagle / Schwarzer Haubenadler (Spizaetus tyrannus). The (male?) bird was …
Continue readingAge-related differences in iris color in Band-backed Wren
Band-backed Wren / Tigerzaunkönig (Campylorhynchus zonatus) is a large wren distributed from Mexico to Ecuador where it also frequents high altitudes up to 3000 m. It breeds cooperatively, which means that breeding pairs get help …
Continue readingA Whimbrel with (somewhat) barred rump on Fuerteventura
I came across this Whimbrel / Regenbrachvogel (Numenius phaeopus) during a trip to Fuerteventura/Canary Islands, in March 2019. Its barred rump and upper tail coverts let me think of the Nearctic race „Hudsonian“ Whimbrel (Numenius …
Continue readingAn Oriole in December in Iran
On 16 December 2019 I encountered this (juvenile) Oriole / Pirol (Oriolus sp.) with Martin Suanjak on Qeshm island, Iran. The bird was in short-term company of six Dark-throated Thrushes / Schwarzkehldrosseln (Turdus atrogularis). We …
Continue readingAshy Drongos in Iran
Edit: These and other records of Ashy Drongo in Iran have been published here. Reminded by the first Ashy Drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus) for Israel, I finally took another look at the Drongos we recorded in …
Continue readingThe „Albatross posture“ of the Caspian Gull
The posture Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans) frequently adopts during its long call, with wings raised and head held vertical, has been described as diagnostic for the species (Klein & Buchheim, Limicola 17, 21-26, 2003; Gibbins, …
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