Advanced ID CHALLENGE on Women Birders Australia 27 June 2020 by Lynette English (text by Janine Duffy)
Who is this bird? Seen at Katherine, NT by Lynette English
Size: medium for this sort of bird. Behaviour: walking around alone.
Advanced: Let us know the age and sex of this bird if you can. P Platers: pick the species. L Platers: pick the group.
Solution:
Flock Bronzewing, immature male.
This bird turned up at Katherine Treatment Plant, alone, in August 2019 and stayed until January 2020. You can see a variety of images of this bird here: eBird Flock Bronzewing Katherine Wastewater Treatment Plant
I believe he was first found and identified by local birder and all-round legend Marc Gardner.
He’s a pigeon, due to that distinctive shape, head and bill. But what sort? Only real possibles up there are Flock or Common Bronzewing, Crested Pigeon, Partridge, Diamond, Peaceful & Bar-shouldered Doves. The last three are small to very small and delicate, with long tails. This bird is almost entirely lacking his tail, so it might have been lost in an accident. Based on size, Peaceful & Diamond can be ruled out, but Bar-shouldered is still in.
It certainly could be a Bar-shouldered Dove-sans-tail. If so, it would have to be a young one as it lacks the black-edged copper nape feathers, blue-grey throat & face and pale eye. The overall body colour of a young BSD is grey-brown, and there’s usually a hint of dark-edged nape feathers. The feet and legs of BSD are a brighter red, but that can’t really be seen from this pic. Size would be helpful – BSD is much lighter than FB. But that’s hard from a pic. I think the best aid in this is build/shape – this bird seems deep-chested and solid, whereas BSD are more delicate and ‘dove-like’.
Crested Pigeon is ruled out as they always have a crest.
Partridge Pigeon is another possible, based on shape, colour and facial markings. But this bird is quite a red brown in colour, lacks the white shoulder that all Partridge have, and the facial markings don’t match.
Common Bronzewing is also possible – right shape and with distinctive facial markings. But the colour and wing covert markings on a Common are very strong, are right across the whole wing, and the overall body colour is a grey-brown, not this red-brown.
Flock Bronzewing is the last and only possibility. The colour is right for a juvenile/immature bird, the pale fringes on the wing feathers are in the right place. So it’s just a matter of sex and age. The hint of dark throat and below eye suggest male, and I can see a fair bit of blue grey on his chest.
Will done you all, and thankyou Lynette English for the great pics!
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