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Topic: Plain Flowpecker 純色啄花鳥 (Read 649 times) |
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miket
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I'd rather be birding!
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Re: Please help to ID
« Reply #1 on: Jan 23rd, 2004, 7:17pm » |
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This is a Flowerpecker, Buff-bellied (also known, more appropriately, and more excitingly, as Fire-breasted) I think, though you need to see the rump to be absolutely certain that it's not Scarlet-backed - others may be able to be more certain of the id on these shots.
As you can see it is feeding on the berries of a parasitic plant. This behaviour, together with the key act in its symbiotic relationship with its food source (sticking the seed to a branch as it excretes it) was, I understand, recently featured in an article on Flowerpeckers in Ming Po newspaper.
Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler (also known as Mountain Bush Warbler) is a bird of generally very low scrub and grass (eg Sha Lo Tung/Hok Tau), only very occasionally seen in larger trees. It has a longer tail than this bird, a longer, somewhat paler bill, longer strong-looking pale legs, and a relatively poorly defined but still clear eye-stripe and dull supercilium.
Nice photos. Got any giving even a glimpse of the rump?
Mike Turnbull.
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Griffin
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Re: Please help to ID
« Reply #2 on: Jan 23rd, 2004, 8:32pm » |
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We spoke today, this is the one we found on 22nd Jan at TPK education path. It was so induged in feeding it ignored 3 cameras (with flashes) pointing towards it. 
Wilson, I think we should discuss more on this sometimes. 
Griffin.
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| « Last Edit: Jan 23rd, 2004, 8:33pm by Griffin » |
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cupid
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Re: Please help to ID
« Reply #3 on: Jan 23rd, 2004, 11:28pm » |
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Thank you very much for your advice 
Wilson
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Paul Leader
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I think that this is a Plain Flowerpecker, the strong greyish tone the head contrasing with the mantle, all dark bill and cold-coloured underparts all fit Plain rather than Buff-bellied or Scarlet-backed. Very nice pictures!
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Mike Turnbull
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I thought about Plain, but thought the face/underparts contrast seemed too great and too sharply demarcated. I felt perhaps we weren't seeing its true tones, though if we are it doesn't look right for Buff-bellied, and the "fluffiness" of the underparts fits Plain, in my experience (about ten years ago at Ding Hu Shan mainly). Surely the bill being black isn't diagnostic, though it does look rather fine. On the other hand, there's a hint of a buffy loral patch, which at least one reference (admittedly de Schauensee) suggests may be a feature of Buff-bellied.
Looking for reference material on flowerpeckers confirms that they seem to be very little photographed, so can I echo Paul's congratualtions on obtaining these very interesting shots.
Mike Turnbull
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