I update the spreadsheet every few days to catch up with birds played and the IOC's splits and lumps.ps: a question: do we have to update the google spreadsheet ourselves...? Or is someone following it all up?
Not the same family, but it's a finch and it's got a nice black-and-white pattern going on, it's also a montane species:I found a link!
Rhipidura ocularis -> so if looking at other birds with some eye-features, I can only think about
#9643 Black Spectacled Brush-finch
I saw White-cheeked Bullfinch almost side-by-side with number 9645 on Mount Kitanglad, providing a support cast for Philippine Eagle, Apo Sunbird, Philippine Frogmouth, Bukidnon Woodcock, Giant Scops-owl... So what is number 9645...?
#9645 Red-Eared Parrotfinch
A seedeater is perfect! This one's from the Udzungwa Mountains in Tanzania:From a Seedcracker, the best I can do is move on to a Seedeater:
#9647 Black-bellied Seedeater
Another Crithagra seedeater, three different subspecies seen on São Tomé, Príncipe and the miniscule Jockey Cap islet respectively:In the same genus, I have my last finch:
#9649 Northern Grosbeak-Canary (no picture), seen in Ethiopia.
As you mention São Tomé: I haven't been there, but I know it's home to the smallest Ibis in the world (the aptly named São Tomé Ibis).
I can't do the Ibis for now, but most people visit Sao Tome through Ghana so you could as well see another member (out of 5 in the African genus of Bostrychia ibises while there , so here is:
#9651 Spot-breasted Ibis
(only Sao Tome Ibis and Olive Ibis are left from all things 'Ibis'... anyone?)
Feugian Snipe is named after Tierra del Fuego, which means Land of Fire. Another fiery species:Really struggling to link anything I have left but
#9653 Fuegian Snipe has a long slightly drooping bill
The very first bird mentioned in this topic is Rock Pigeon, so I can't take that one and have to be inventive to link with something rocky as I don't have any firefinches or allies on the list.
The closest I get to any kind of rock is Tsingy, the peculiar rock formations of NW Madagascar.
So (drumrolls) here is
#9655 Tsingy Forest Rail
View attachment 1569414
thanks, there can't be any other than great species from now on, i.e. great in a sense that they are either in a far corner of the planet, elusive, rare or a combination of all of these characteristics. I have 5 more endemics to see in Madagascar (Dusky Tetraka, Mad. Cuckoohawk, Slender-billed Flufftail, Archbold's Newtonia and Yellow-bellied Sunbird-asity), and I honestly don't know if I can drag myself back to that place and probably still miss out on 2 or 3 of those!Wow, great species! One of only five Madagascar endemics I'm still missing.
I can give you another species from the same family, but I'll have to go to New Guinea for it:
#9656 Chestnut Forest Rail
We have quite different gaps in our Madagascar list!I have 5 more endemics to see in Madagascar (Dusky Tetraka, Mad. Cuckoohawk, Slender-billed Flufftail, Archbold's Newtonia and Yellow-bellied Sunbird-asity), and I honestly don't know if I can drag myself back to that place and probably still miss out on 2 or 3 of those!
A species of wet montane forests. As is Chestnut Forest Rail. Will that do as a link?Yellow-breasted Sunbird-Asity