Hi, I really struggle identifying thornbills. Particularly Striated and Brown Thornbills. I am reasonably confident this photo, taken this afternoon, is a Striated Thornbill.
This is an enlarged section of the same pic to show the colour of the eye.
Here is what I presume is a Brown Thornbill taken shortly afterwards.
This is another enlarged section of the same pic to show the colour of the eye.
Here is another bird, I would have said looks similar to the 'Brown' thornbill, but it was larger and has a dull coloured eye. (unfortunately I didn't get a very good picture).
The beak is a different colour too. Is the last one an older Brown TB or Male? All comments and Thornbill ID info welcome.
Regards Roger
Hi Roger. Unless anyone else could say differently, I would say that the first bird is an immature straited thornbill and the second a brown thornbill, as you said. The last one is probably an immature thornbill. I can't tell if the eye is red or brown. Hope this helps. :)
I'd say the first is a striated thornbill but I'm not sure that it's an immature, Elle. Looks more adultish to me.
The last is an immature brown thornbill, tho' I'm no expert on thornbills (or much else.)
Thanks Elle and Woko,
It seems that I am on the right track now, picking between brown and striated,(although it's really hard if you can't see a clear eye colour or well lit top of the head), but I don't get how you know if it's immature or male or female. Have a you a checklist or something? Beak colour/shape?
I have sometimes photographed the same bird several times within
a few seconds and the photos all look like different birds. They stretch out, fluff up and twist in the light to look entirely different, one second to the next. Thornbills are some of my favourite subjects but so difficult to pick.
Regards Roger
PS, Elle, your ID photo is intriguing, it that a grey fantail and a (fem) blue wren?