kkchang168 24/03/2013 06:56
Cisticola
Dear all,
Sorry to bother you again. Is this one Ziting Cisticola?
[attach]14322[/attach]
and the following is Bright-capped cisticola?
[attach]14323[/attach]
According to "The BIRDS of HONG KONG and SOUTH CHINA", it said that crown feathers of Bright-capped Cisticola often raised. Is the second photo show it?
Or they are other kind of birds?
Thanks in advance
ajohn 24/03/2013 18:09
You are correct on both birds.
Note the prominent white supercilium and relatively deep bill base on the Zitting (photo 1).
This Bright-capped is relatively easy to identify because it is moulting into male breeding plumage - note how the central crown feathers are very pale yellow-white, which is what gives this species it's name.
Don't rely too much on whether the bird raises it's crown feathers because Zitting will also do this (although I agree Bright-capped does more often).
kkchang168 24/03/2013 19:51
Thank you ajohn. I know that Zitting (wrong spelling last time) also raise its crown feather, so I cannot sure that the second one is a Bright-capped. Moreover thank you for telling me that Zitting has a "relatively deep bill base" which I do not see in my books.