Birdwatching is an endlessly rewarding hobby, especially when you manage to tick off a new species on your Life List. But what happens when one species becomes two? That’s exactly what happened with Cory’s Shearwater, a bird many of us have enjoyed spotting over the open ocean. Recently, a significant taxonomic split occurred, dividing Cory’s… Continue reading The Taxonomic Split of Cory’s Shearwater: What It Means for Your Bird Life List
Category: Bird Identification Aid
Yellow-browed Warblers as vagrants in Middle Europe again!
High-pitched calls shout from the bushes along the banks of an oxbow of the Havel River a little river in northern Brandenburg in Germany. In the willows you can quickly spot Goldcrests (Regulus regulus), scurrying through the bushes inconspicuously but in large numbers. But it’s worth taking a closer look. And really, in this case… Continue reading Yellow-browed Warblers as vagrants in Middle Europe again!
An immature Pallid Harrier in the Niederer Fläming
On sunday, 13th of October, I had the unique opportunity to observe an immature Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) in the Niederer Fläming region of Brandenburg, a truly exciting find for any birdwatcher. With its distinct features and behavior, this raptor should be unmistakable in good observation conditions. But identifying immature and femlae individuals can be… Continue reading An immature Pallid Harrier in the Niederer Fläming
A putative Hybrid Herring x Caspian Gull at Lake Gülpe in Brandenburg: A Detailed Observation
It was already evening at the outlet of the Gülper See into the Havel. The air was filled with the calls of migrating water birds. A white-headed gull sat on a boat bollard. In addition to the familiar sight of swans and ducks, this gull caught my attention. The first thing I noticed were its… Continue reading A putative Hybrid Herring x Caspian Gull at Lake Gülpe in Brandenburg: A Detailed Observation
Hoatzin on a Nest in Manu National Park
As the sun filters through the dense foliage of Manu National Park, I find myself on a quiet trail by the riverbank, scanning the treetops. Suddenly, the unmistakable silhouette of a Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) appears, perched delicately on a nest. This bird is a wonder, both ancient and peculiar, and here in the heart of… Continue reading Hoatzin on a Nest in Manu National Park
Temminck Sunbird Female in Trus Madi Forest Reserve
The red flowers of a hibiscus are worth a photo alone. All the nicer if you can “garnish” the strange flowers with a few species of birds. In any case, a hibiscus bush, perhaps the species Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, particularly attracted the sunbirds. It was located directly behind the washrooms of the Borneo Jungle Girls Camp… Continue reading Temminck Sunbird Female in Trus Madi Forest Reserve
Flight Dynamics of Northern Atlantic Shearwaters: A Comparative Insight
We are on a pelagic trip, this is a seabird watching tour. This time a stretch of water off-shore the west coast of Ireland with Blacksod Sea Safari is approached. On the trip to the Atlantic we pass the island of Inishkea. Eventually we are surrounded by the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean. The sun… Continue reading Flight Dynamics of Northern Atlantic Shearwaters: A Comparative Insight
Large Hawk-Cuckoo in mangroves of Malaysia
The labyrinthine mangroves of Malaysia, where twisting roots intertwine like the veins of the earth, are home to many mysterious birds. One of these, spending at least some time during migration amidst the humid heat, dense foliage and murky water, is the elusive figure of the Large Hawk-Cuckoo (Hierococcyx sparverioides). It is a bird with… Continue reading Large Hawk-Cuckoo in mangroves of Malaysia
Epaulet Oriole in the Pantanal: Taxonomy issues
The morning is still fresh and I want to visit the light gallery forest within the Fazenda in the morning. Again a great sunrise. I start walking with my Nikon Nikkor AF-I 300mm f/2.8 D ED on a Gitzo Monopod and a Metz flash MZ-5. Right at the beginning, there is light forest with its… Continue reading Epaulet Oriole in the Pantanal: Taxonomy issues
Bornean Banded Pitta at the montane hill forests at Trus Madi Forest Reserve
Eventually a Bornean Banded Pitta (Hydrornis schwaneri) shows up in the arena of a shady wood on a steep slope. We sit side by side in a dark hideout that barely has slots for camera lenses. We’ve been waiting for a good 1 hour. There she is: the beauty. The Bornean Banded Pitta is a… Continue reading Bornean Banded Pitta at the montane hill forests at Trus Madi Forest Reserve
Identification of the Long-tailed Tit ssp. caudatus in Middle Europe
Now they are moving from the north again. A chatty flock of tits in autumnal Germany could also contain Long-tailed Tits (Aegithalos caudatus) with a largely or even completely white head, which are often immediately counted as Aegithalos caudatus caudatus. The Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus) exhibits complex global variation, with 19 subspecies recognized. They can… Continue reading Identification of the Long-tailed Tit ssp. caudatus in Middle Europe
The Common Chaffinch will be split in 5 species
The Eurasian (Common) Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) will be split – or has been split recently. In the Species Updates for the IOC Version 13.2 the Chaffinch will be devided to African Chaffinch (Fringilla spodiogenys) (including africana and harterti), Azores Chaffinch (Fringilla moreletti), Madeira Chaffinch (Fringilla maderensis), and Canary Islands Chaffinch (Fringilla canariensis) (including bakeri, ombriosa… Continue reading The Common Chaffinch will be split in 5 species