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cuckoo sp., Gambia (1 Viewer)

gambirder

Kev Roy
United Kingdom
I've been sent this picture and asked to submit it to the forum as it's causing some debate here. Seen inland in Gambia. Comments?
 

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When the pic was presented to me the main suggestions being debated were aberrant Emerald Cuckoo and Red-chested Cuckoo. I agree Diderik is the most plausible suggestion. The main confusion factor I think is no-one here is familiar with such a deep red on the throat and chest of Diderik.
 
Can you talk the photographer into becoming a Birdforum member? If this really is a Dideric C, then it is a plumage not represented on the Opus page or in the gallery.

Cheers
Niels
 
Dideric

Niels:

Would you be interested in this photo, which is of the rufous juvenile form of Dideric Cuckoo, which also doesn't seem to be in the Opus or Gallery? I only saw this juvenile and not either of the adult forms.
 

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The sinclair and Ryan book clearly shows female Diderick with a buffy throat like this bird and says often shows this. Also you can see white spots on the wings which really does eliminate the two others.
 
The sinclair and Ryan book clearly shows female Diderick with a buffy throat like this bird and says often shows this. Also you can see white spots on the wings which really does eliminate the two others.

The field guides for West Africa (e.g. Barlow and Wacher, Borrow and Demey) don't show this, although they mention it in the text. It certainly flummoxed several of the best guides here. I confess I didn't know what it was either and was leaning to Red-chested or even the Black Cuckoo gabonensis subspecies; but when you and lewis both suggested Diderik it fell into place even though I haven't seen one as red as this. The tail pattern, upperpart colour, white spots on the wings and the barred flanks I think all confirm your ID. I looked up Dideriks on this site and also the excellent ABC site and there was a "buffy" one - but none as red as this one.
Big up you and lewis for nailing it. I salute you! :clap: :clap: :clap:
 
Niels:

Would you be interested in this photo, which is of the rufous juvenile form of Dideric Cuckoo, which also doesn't seem to be in the Opus or Gallery? I only saw this juvenile and not either of the adult forms.

Most definitely, I will stick it into the Opus page. I would encourage you to also upload to the Gallery I cannot do that for you.

Can you provide details of where you took the photo?

Thanks
Niels
 
weldone Gambirder am now convince that is diderick cuckoo but as u mention it was a great debate and am happy that we come into final term.
 
Cuckoo name and colour

This bird's name rarely seems to be spelt the same way twice. Opus has gone for Dideric. Wikipedia gives this and Didric. Zimmerman et al. Birds of Kenya and Stevenson and Fanshawe Birds of East Africa both go for Diederik. Some posters here have gone for Diderick. When I tried to search on Opus, only Dideric would work. Why is there no agreed spelling?

Incidentally, Zimmerman et al. Birds of Kenya and Stevenson and Fanshawe Birds of East Africa also have dramatically different pictures for the female: the former a green bird like the male with a rufous tint, the latter a rufous bird with a very slight green tint!

I uploaded my photo to the gallery as Niels suggested.

The gallery space readings don't seem to be right. The 'disk space used reading' seems to be the byte count with a kb suffix (and then repeated in brackets correctly with bytes).

Disk space allowed on your account: 653,600kb (669,286,400 bytes)
Disk space used on your account: 3,247,335kb (3247335 bytes)
Disk space remaining for your account: 650,429kb (666039065 bytes)
 
Speke's Weaver J?

In the same tree that I found the juvenile Dideric Cuckoo which I posted above (and in the gallery), there was a juvenile weaver, which I tentatively identified as Speke's Weaver on the grounds that: a) it's roughly the right colouration; b) Dideric is said to parasitise this species; and c) Speke's adults were seen later a few kilometres away.

Is there anyone who can identify this bird with confidence (as I can't)?
 

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This bird's name rarely seems to be spelt the same way twice. Opus has gone for Dideric. Wikipedia gives this and Didric. Zimmerman et al. Birds of Kenya and Stevenson and Fanshawe Birds of East Africa both go for Diederik. Some posters here have gone for Diderick. When I tried to search on Opus, only Dideric would work. Why is there no agreed spelling?

Incidentally, Zimmerman et al. Birds of Kenya and Stevenson and Fanshawe Birds of East Africa also have dramatically different pictures for the female: the former a green bird like the male with a rufous tint, the latter a rufous bird with a very slight green tint!

I uploaded my photo to the gallery as Niels suggested.

The gallery space readings don't seem to be right. The 'disk space used reading' seems to be the byte count with a kb suffix (and then repeated in brackets correctly with bytes).

Disk space allowed on your account: 653,600kb (669,286,400 bytes)
Disk space used on your account: 3,247,335kb (3247335 bytes)
Disk space remaining for your account: 650,429kb (666039065 bytes)

Didric Cuckoo should also have worked as far as I can see, and I added another couple of redirects so that two more alternative spellings should work in Opus.

I would not worry about the account bytes; it seems that there is an increase coming well in advance of you running out ...

Sinclair, birds of Southern Africa shows a female with less green on the back and buffy throat and upper breast

Niels
 
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