Very interesting! My best guess would be female Pale Blue Flycatcher. Do you have further photos? Could you also provide an exact location please? Author: bbken Time: 2/11/2009 17:06
Sorry! I just take this photo only
The location is Lions Nature Education Centre! Author: tmichael Time: 2/11/2009 18:50
Any chance of more specific details? I live nearby and would like to look for this bird to check out the id.
Mike Turnbull Author: ajohn Time: 3/11/2009 15:39
I wonder whether this could just be an unusual view of a verditer flycatcher? The structure seems to fit better for verditer to me, especially the bill which looks rather long on pictures I can find of Pale blue but is short and stout on verditer. The upright stance is also typical of verditer. Also, the feet on the subject bird seem to be black, whereas those on Pale Blue seem to be paler, slightly pinkish.
And a juvenile showing the underparts: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sha ... 852/in/photostream/
Presumably to be a Pale Blue this bird would need to be a first-winter male moulting out of juvenile plumage (hence not showing much blue) so should be equally spotty underneath.
I agree that the rufous underside of the tail is not typical of Verditer flycatcher, but see the attached from OBI showing a similar colour on the underside of the tail: http://orientalbirdimages.org/se ... Family_ID=&p=24
Perhaps a young female Verditer could look this grey below, with a hint of rufous on the underside of the tail?
Having said this, I would love to be proved wrong, and I certainly think it is worth someone looking for the bird again to check ID.
[ Last edited by ajohn at 3/11/2009 15:54 ] Author: lmichael Time: 3/11/2009 15:56
My first thought from the rufous tail was Pale Blue Flycatcher too; but having looked at the links provided by John I find his analysis rather convincing.
A further pointer to Verditer may be the strength of the eye ring. A more or less complete eyering seems to be a feature of Verditer whereas that on female Pale Blue is more of a crescent largely apparent below the eye.
It would still be good to see more photos of this interesting bird.
Mike Leven
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