tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109690335759612294.post7644269886445609617..comments2023-11-03T04:10:32.184-07:00Comments on Safari Ecology: Mixed species flocksweavers&whatnothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271558799390216825noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109690335759612294.post-83033343695444636902011-07-18T23:09:19.443-07:002011-07-18T23:09:19.443-07:00So, I've had a number of thoughts on this robi...So, I've had a number of thoughts on this robin chat. Features I'm told to look for are: width of white-brow (as Itai and others say), colour of wings (black for Ruppell's, blue-grey for white-browed), colour of central tail features - black for Ruppell's, brown for White-browed. I've also been told that if they're not singing, there might be nothing consistent to help. Having looked over lots of pictures on the internet from various locations where only one species should be present I'm concluding - (1) the colour of the central tail feathers is very tricky. (2) The wing colour works in Ethiopia, but probably not elsewhere. (3) Eyebrow width is difficult, except for extremes. And to add to that, when I've caught these birds for ringing in the past they show some serious ability to flare (widen) the eyebrow when they want to! It's obviously a signal, so I'd expect it to be movable. On this bird I'm changing my mind and tending towards Ruppell's because the eyebrow really is rather narrow - but I'm not sure and I think I might tend to agree that certain ID in the field without calls is, at the moment, not always possible... But we're learning!weavers&whatnothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04271558799390216825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109690335759612294.post-68408165354242018742011-07-18T10:44:22.893-07:002011-07-18T10:44:22.893-07:00Hi Colin,
to me this is a Ruppell's with its ...Hi Colin,<br /><br />to me this is a Ruppell's with its thin eye brow which is always wider on White-browed.<br /><br />great blog!Itai Shannihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00754430675621215947noreply@blogger.com