Nicholson's Pipit Reietvlei Nature Reserve South Africa Oct 9 (1 Viewer)

[49bentley]

Can someone please confirm this to be a Nicholson's Pipit? Taken in Reietvlei Nature Reserve South Africa Oct
Thanks
Chris

 

[THE_FERN]

Without certainty: suggest African pipit. Outer tail feather appears white not buffy, and there's significant streaking on the chest

 

[49bentley]

Great points. Thanks The Fern.

 

[Butty]

Having (finally) got to look at the LBJs book... I doubt there's a particular reason to think these (seemingly two birds in the photos) might be Nicholson's pipit ( = long-billed pipit), but, compared to that species, they seem more likely to be African pipit:

• Pale on undertail (I doubt it's safe in these photos to call it white rather than the alternative of 'buffy-white') is extensive on inner web of outermost feather (much less on Nicholson's pipit).
• Dense narrow chest-band of streaks rather than wider and sparser on Nicholson's pipit. (Macaulay photos of Nicholson's pipit show all manner of chest-patterns including African-pipit-like; given what we know Macaulay to be like, misidentifications must be rife indeed among their pipits in Africa.)

(The LBJs book leaves regular field guides dead in the water, to put it mildly - assuming, of course, that the stuff in it is right.)

 

[THE_FERN]

Having (finally) got to look at the LBJs book... I doubt there's a particular reason to think these (seemingly two birds in the photos) might be Nicholson's pipit ( = long-billed pipit), but, compared to that species, they seem more likely to be African pipit:

• Pale on undertail (I doubt it's safe in these photos to call it white rather than the alternative of 'buffy-white') is extensive on inner web of outermost feather (much less on Nicholson's pipit).
• Dense narrow chest-band of streaks rather than wider and sparser on Nicholson's pipit. (Macaulay photos of Nicholson's pipit show all manner of chest-patterns including African-pipit-like; given what we know Macaulay to be like, misidentifications must be rife indeed among their pipits in Africa.)

(The LBJs book leaves regular field guides dead in the water, to put it mildly - assuming, of course, that the stuff in it is right.)

Well it matches Sasol. See post 2

 

[Butty]

it matches Sasol

Actually not. SASOL (edn 3 anyway - dunno about edn 4) shows, for the inner web of the outermost tail-feather, pretty much the opposite of the difference in patterns that LBJs shows.

 

[Butty]

it matches Sasol

Apologies - I think I missed your point... But, no, the OP's pic 2 doesn't match Sasol, as that book shows a largely dark inner web of the outermost tail-feather for African pipit - whereas pic 2 seems (difficult to see) to have that inner web entirely pale, much closer to the pattern shown for African pipit in LBJs. So (assuming LBJs is right), Sasol would not identify the OP's birds.

 

[49bentley]

Thanks Butty and The Fern.