Some birds from Broken Hill and Griffith NSW Australia (1 Viewer)

[Greg McKay]

The 2 photgraphs is of a bird photgraphed at Broken Hill NSW and I believe to be some kind of Juvenile Whistler but because of the white ring of feathers around the base of the bill I am not sure. Help needed in Identifying what sort of bird it is and if it is a Whistler what sort?

Photo 3 is of a Parrot most likely a Juvenile and possibly a Red Rumped but need help.

Photo 4 Is a of a Babbler but well within range at Griffith could be either a Halls or White Browed. The width of the white brow and the sharp defining where the white meets the brownn on the chest makes me think it could possibly be a Halls.

Photo 5 Spotted Harrier?

 

[John_WA]

Some difficult ones;
1,2) Definitely a young whistler as you've suggested, but I think near Broken Hill could conceivably be Rufous, Gilbert's or Red-lored and I don't know the last two well enough
3) Another difficult one, can't get much further than parrot sp. at present
4) The pale eye suggests Grey-crowned Babbler for me. Griffith would appear to be out of range for Hall's (assuming I've found the right Griffith on Google Earth!)
5) Definitely a Spotted Harrier

 

[Greg McKay]

John
Griffith Central NSW
Just a bit out of range by my guides, and with the weather we've been having who knows?
Unfortunately the tree branch covers the nape of the neck but the brow line does not seem to be tapering towards it.

 

[Greg McKay]

Thanks for your help everyone.
For the whistler I'm leaning towards juv female red lored whistler mainly due to the white ring of feathers around the base of the bill. I say this because when i look at rufous, gilberts and red lored the female red Lored has a ring of orange feather around the base of the bill consistent with the photo only a different colors. The other 2 don't exhibit this trait fromm what i can see in my guides.

I'm still leaning towards halls babbler can anyone support this or convince me otherwise.

 

[John_WA]

I'm still leaning towards halls babbler can anyone support this or convince me otherwise.

Babbler with pale eye = Grey-crowned. Looking more closely, you can also make out the paler sides to the neck, so definitely Grey-crowned for mine. Photos of Grey-crowned at http://www.aviceda.org/abid/birdimages.php?action=birdspecies&fid=67&bid=1090 and Halls at http://www.aviceda.org/abid/birdimages.php?action=birdspecies&fid=67&bid=1092

Haven't got any further on the parrot, sorry. I'm sure it's solvable though!

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Thanks for your help everyone.
For the whistler I'm leaning towards juv female red lored whistler .

I wouldn't do that without a very good view Greg, Red-lored Whistler is a very rare bird.

 

[Chris Benesh]

Hi Greg,

I think that the parrot pretty much has got to be a female/immature Red-rumped Parrot with that combination of shape, lack of colorful plumage, and scalloping to the underparts.

See:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marj_k/1315309198/

I agree with others that the babbler is Grey-crowned.

Chris

 

[Greg McKay]

Larry and Chris thanks for your input.
Chris I agree with the immature red rump after walking around Bendigo (central victoria) today and really having a close look at some. They are prevelent here and you can get to within a couple of feet of the city birds.
The Babbler I have also changed my mind on but the whistler I will seek some further expert advice on and keep you all posted.

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Hi Greg,

Here's some interesting stuff about Red-lored Whistler in NSW

http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/profile.aspx?id=10584

 

[Chris Benesh]

For the whistler I'm leaning towards juv female red lored whistler mainly due to the white ring of feathers around the base of the bill. I say this because when i look at rufous, gilberts and red lored the female red Lored has a ring of orange feather around the base of the bill consistent with the photo only a different colors. The other 2 don't exhibit this trait fromm what i can see in my guides.

Hi Greg,

I've really got no clue on the whistler. I've seen a small number of Gilbert's and a bunch of Rufous, but never Red-lored. And since it is a juvenile, there is virtually no reference to the candidates expected appearance in any of my references. However, I think if you look critically at the white ring of feathers around the base of the bill, you'll see some weirdness to their placement and texture. To my eye, this looks like out of focus vegetation in another focal plane between lens and bird. Notice the similarity to white spots in the center top of the photo and an inch or so down along the little branch that comes off of the main limb in the photo.

Chris

 

[Greg McKay]

Larry and Chris thanks for that. As promised an expert opinion.
Greg I looked at that image and it's definitely a Rufous Whistler in my opinion, a juvenile as you say evidenced by the pale gape. The dark streaking and dark central sections of the back feathers lead me to my diagnosis. Red-lored are very habitat specific too - only found in triodia mallee associations. The tree in your photo doesn't look like mallee that Red-lored's would normally occur in.