Can someone tell me what this bird is? It looks like the olive backed oriole but i can't find any reference to them having the red around the eye
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birdie - I think it may be a Figbird.
Holly
G'day birdie.
Hollie's spot on. Only the male's have a red ring around the eye.
Yes a Male Figbird and just to make the ID a little harder (more interesting),he is still showing some of his imm markings as well as some of his adult plumage.Given the two races (yellow in the north and green in the south) and the fact they interbreed readily the birds we see here in Townsville (in the middle of the intergrade zone) are a very mixed bunch not very often matching the feild guides.As Gelmir says the males has a red eye patch this area in the females and imm is grey but bare of feathers, neither Oriels have this bare patch.
Ed Townsville NQ
Thank you feloow birdies. I can now add another onto my list of 35 species that I can identify locally. I wonder how many I can get it up to?!
Sunshine Coast Queensland
a few shots of figbirds in various states of plumage
Ed Townsville NQ
G'day ed.
These are of the Southern race. I took them here in Sydney about 8 months ago.
Female
.
Male
So can you tell me is this an Olive Backed oriel? I found it nesting in a big ficus looking tree in the centre of a roundabout. The whole family lives in that tree I think.
Sorry about the poor photo, it is very hard to get between the foliage. This hobby is playing havoc with my neck as i have a disc problem there and I am permanently looking upwards now!
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Hi Birdie
No not an oriel, figird for sure.
Ed Townsville NQ
G'day Birdie.
It can be easy to confuse Olive-backed Oriole's with female Figbird's when viewed from underneath. An easy way to tell the difference it that the Oriole's have a red beak and a red eye, whereas the Figbirds have a black beak and a black eye.
Thanks for that. I have just got Slater's field guide out of the library and am finding it quite fascinating.
But it is difficult as you say when the various versions look different. What amazes me is that I have walked this route now for two months and every day I manage to find something different. Nests especially, that are there right above you and most people would never know.I will post a picture of this tree for example to show you where this little nest is
Sunshine Coast Queensland
When planning new estates it's a pity the planners don't do more of this type of thing, Buderim is certainly a bird friendly suburb.When I looked up at this little bird he/she was so quiet and tucked away that it's hard to imagine them raising their babies with buses and traffic buzzing past all day.
Sunshine Coast Queensland