Bird Paradise — species ID please

[Allister Jenks]

Hi all.

I got such amazing help identifying the species in my 2019 Jurong photos, I thought I'd return here with the trickier ones from my visit to Bird Paradise last week. I've just had the thought it would have been a good idea to snap all the information boards with my phone on the way around, but it's a bit late for that now.

These are the ones I am having trouble with. All help appreciated.

In Lory Loft.


In Heart of Africa, I think.


From memory, this was wild, outside any aviary. Not great focus unfortunately, but it would still be nice to know. I suspect a kind of sunbird.

 

[FoxBat]

1) iris lorikeet
2) im not sure, but it reminds me of a thrush
3) female olive-backed sunbird

 

[Allister Jenks]

Thanks, that's two down.

I agree the second one is thrush-like. Its colouring is reminiscent of the Hedge Sparrow (or Dunnock) we have in New Zealand.

Its relatively dull colouring makes it hard to search on (though that Iris Lorikeet was driving me crazy when searching, too) and probably also less likely to find photos of, given its presence among all the colours of Mandai! In fact, it was sharing an enclosure with the Taveta Golden Weaver.

 

[birdsandbats]

Pretty sure 2 is just a young Taveta Golden Weaver, or something closely related.

 

[Allister Jenks]

I have one more. I thought this was a White-cheeked Bullfinch, but then realised that's not a finch beak — unless it's the angle? It was in Songs of the Forest.

 

[Allister Jenks]

Pretty sure 2 is just a young Taveta Golden Weaver, or something closely related.

It was certainly in amongst the Taveta Golden Weavers. I have photos of them from essentially the same spot.

 

[Platypusboy]

I have one more. I thought this was a White-cheeked Bullfinch, but then realised that's not a finch beak — unless it's the angle? It was in Songs of the Forest.View attachment 654541

It is most likely a White cheeked bulbul.

 

[Allister Jenks]

Thanks, I looked that up and found the name refers to two species, of which the White-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucotis) seems to be a good match.

 

[Allister Jenks]

That just leaves the might-be-Taveta Weaver photo.

I'm swayed away from it being a juvenile TW because of the quite strong colours on the wings which do not seem to correspond with adult colouring. I may be off base on this, but I would have thought juveniles would have the same basic demarcations, just less distinct.

I also detect no amount of yellow on the bird, where both male and female Taveta Weavers are distinctly yellow.

I'm now wondering if it is in fact a young Village Weaver. They seem to have the stronger wing colourings and some photos I have found of females do not show much yellow. I know I've photographed male Village Weavers at Jurong.

 

[Zooish]

That just leaves the might-be-Taveta Weaver photo.

I'm swayed away from it being a juvenile TW because of the quite strong colours on the wings which do not seem to correspond with adult colouring. I may be off base on this, but I would have thought juveniles would have the same basic demarcations, just less distinct.

I also detect no amount of yellow on the bird, where both male and female Taveta Weavers are distinctly yellow.

I'm now wondering if it is in fact a young Village Weaver. They seem to have the stronger wing colourings and some photos I have found of females do not show much yellow. I know I've photographed male Village Weavers at Jurong.

Bird Paradise also houses Chestnut and Black Weavers (Ploceus castaneofuscus), so the second photo might be a female of the species.

 

[Allister Jenks]

I am now fairly convinced #2 is a juvenile Village Weaver, having found this reference.

Juvenile African Village Weaver bird (Ploceus cucullatus) in close-up. A.k.a. Black-headed weaver or Spotted-backed weaver Stock Photo - Alamy

 

[Zooish]

I am now fairly convinced #2 is a juvenile Village Weaver, having found this reference.

Juvenile African Village Weaver bird (Ploceus cucullatus) in close-up. A.k.a. Black-headed weaver or Spotted-backed weaver Stock Photo - Alamy

The Village Weavers at Bird Paradise are only housed at the Winged Sanctuary, not the Heart of Africa aviary.

 

[Allister Jenks]

OK, I am swayed but still not sure of this bird.

I have a photo of a definite (male) Taveta Weaver taken 36 seconds after my last photo of the bird in question, so it was definitely in that aviary, as I recalled it to be.

I cannot find any photos online of female Taveta Weavers without obvious yellow colouring, though there is still the possibility of a juvenile, which I cannot find any photos of.

I have tried to research the Chestnut-and-brown Weavers, but I am not even sure of the exact species. eBird has a page for Ploceus castaneofuscus under that name, and the picture of the female could be a match, but is inconclusive due to the angle.

However, some lists of weavers do not list that scientific name at all but claim "Chestnut and Black Weaver" is an alternative name for Vielliot's Weaver (Ploceus nigerrimus).

So on the basis of the information that Village Weavers are not present in Heart of Africa, it seems most likely to be a female Ploecus castaneofuscus.

It is also worth noting that Vielliot's Black Weaver, in these pictures at least, has a pale eye, where Ploecus castaneofuscus has a black eye — matching the photo'd bird.