This is scary territory we’re entering into.
Struggling to identify a bird because you didn’t get a good look at it is one thing, but when you can see it plain as day and still don’t have a clue, that’s something entirely different.
LBJs (Little Brown Jobs; yes, it’s what they’re officially known as) are generally considered higher-grade birding. “Nondescript” goes a long way towards accurately describing this large and frustrating group of avian species. Larks, pipits, prinias… those are just a few of the families likely to make even the most experienced birder start tearing his or her hair out, so tough can they be to identify.
Fortunately the identification part is usually a little easier than people imagine. Firstly you have the range. Some species occur in one area while others don’t. Then you have habitat. Grassland vs. riverine vs. woodland. Some species live exclusively in one type. Already you’ll have eliminated half of your options.
Then going on size, leg colour, call, and a few other subtle indicators, you can usually arrive at a fairly accurate idea of what bird you’re dealing with.
Unfortunately, when simply looking at a photograph, as you are here, you don’t have much of that information.
We’ll give you a hint – we saw this bird calling on a marula crest, which isn’t usually where we see them…
Answer to be revealed in next Friday’s TWIP, as usual.
Good luck…
I was overjoyed to open my blog today and find a bird article. Now if somebody could breed a leopard with leopard-marked feathers and wings I WOULD be happy. Nice photo of a Zitting Cisticola. Pride goes before a fall but I THINK it’s a Zitting Cisticola.
LBJs are difficult but when you get a positive ID it can be very rewarding and definitely helps get the lifers list numbers up. I’d go with a Rattling Cisticola (Cisticola chiniana) with this bird but I am not very confident calling cisticolas with a definite positive ID without hearing them.. Very keen to see what bird this turns out to be.
It is a warbler. Not sure which one.
Hi James,
I am going with a male Rattling Cisticola. Londos is limited for choice of the mottled back variants and this is not “Zitting” . African Birdlife just happened to print a useful article on this subject and my copy of the March/April edition arrived last Thursday and it helped me separate males from females, given that they are in the breeding season . Ian
Hi Ian – funny you should mention African Birdlife! I based my identification as a Zitting on an article which appeared in the July/August 2018 edition. I chose the Zitting because if you look very carefully at the photo in the blog (enlarge it) the tip of the beak is flushed faintly pink and in Hugh Chittenden’s excellent photo (pg 45 top left) you will see the same – and I haven’t seen that pink-flushed tip in any other photos of Cisticolas. This IS exciting – I can’t wait to see the results!
Stumped….
Hmmmmm! My bird identification prowess is certainly lacking…..too bad it’s not a lilac breasted roller 😘
Rattlin cisticola maybe?