ZooChat Big Year 2019

As some people may have noticed I have been MIA for a month or so (that's "Missing In Asia"). I've been saving for quite a long time already for my next trip but because it will be a Mega Trip and not just a Big Trip - and because there have been a few unexpected things I have had to fork over lots of money for - I suspected I wouldn't have enough money by the time the intended departure date came around at the start of next year, so I've pushed it back another year. I haven't been overseas for TWO years though [exclamation mark] and that's not really acceptable. Therefore I planned out a quick trip where I would basically jump around a few different places, mostly targeting specific animals I hadn't seen yet but for which I'd found (supposedly)-reliable sites. You could legitimately say this trip was mostly just a mammal-twitching trip (and I got nine new mammals, so it worked out quite well). The lists for most of the countries aren't very long for this reason. Only a relatively few days here and there could be used for all-day birding; in particular, the birds listed for the first part of Thailand were literally all seen from bus windows or while walking along the road; and the Laos part was a complete dud. The Brisbane bit at the end seems very light too but it has to be said that a lot of the birds seen in Brisbane were ones also seen in Sydney at the very start of the trip. There may or may not be a new Chlidonias Goes To Asia thread at some point.



A quick outline of the trip before the species lists:

SYDNEY
I had one night and the following day in Sydney, so I spent them at Warriewood Wetlands and Centennial Park.

SINGAPORE
There were two main objectives for my two days in Singapore. Firstly to visit Jurong before it closed, and see the Spix's Macaws, Lear's Macaws, and Philippine Eagles (I saw the last two, but the Spix's refused to show). Secondly to look for a pangolin. There is a particular spot where more than a handful of mammalwatchers have seen a Sunda Pangolin. One of those people was @lintworm and it is totally unacceptable for another moderator to have seen a wild pangolin when I have not. I know almost all the moderators have seen captive pangolins (it is a requirement of becoming a moderator) but a wild pangolin is a different ball-game. I wasn't actually that hopeful of seeing one, but I had my fingers crossed.

MALAYSIA
After Singapore I crossed over the strait to Peninsular Malaysia and headed to the Panti Forest for general animal-watching (mainly to try and see the local subspecies of Banded Leaf Monkeys, which I did although not to such an extent that I could actually get photos of them), then went all the way up to Taiping to visit the Taiping Zoo (hoping their Marbled Cat was still on display, which it was). I also spent a day-ish at Maxwell Hill for Agile Gibbons, then a couple of days at Bukit Fraser, and then flew to Thailand.

THAILAND
A couple of years ago (right after my last trip, annoyingly) I had found out about a couple of temples in the north of Thailand which are visited by habituated Assamese Macaques and Indochinese Grey Langurs respectively, and I've been waiting for a chance to add them into a trip. I was in Thailand for less than three days, solely to visit these two spots, before popping up into Laos.

LAOS
The second of the aforementioned Thai temples is at Loei, which is not far from the main border-crossing with Laos, so it made sense to add that into the mix as well. This was the only "new" country of the trip. I went to a place called Ban Na Hin which has not fared well with poachers apparently and I saw very little, so I bailed and went back to Thailand.

THAILAND again
Another few days, basically travelling down from Laos to Bangkok before my flight homewards; I had a bit longer here than originally intended (due to abandoning Laos) and managed to get in some birding at some of the local bird spots in Bangkok with wavering success.

BRISBANE
When sorting out the travel plans for this trip I discovered that there are now direct flights between Bangkok and Brisbane with Thai Air Asia, which only started in June this year. I'd only been to Brisbane once before, in 2008, and it rained every day I was there, so I was hoping to add at least a few new species to my life lists on this visit. I did get a few lifers - both birds and mammals - but the number of bird species overall was slimmer than I'd been expecting (I only saw about a hundred species total there, of which about half were year-birds; on one of the days in Brisbane I saw 72 species, which makes the 100-species total seem even smaller!). I also spent half a day in the Gold Coast because that's where the flight back to New Zealand left from.



I'd count the trip as successful. Of my twelve "target mammals" I saw eight of them which, given that I generally only had one or two chances for each one, was a better-than-expected total.

I only had one "target bird", which was Powerful Owl, but the "always reliable" birds at Centennial Park in Sydney hadn't been seen in a few weeks so I missed out on those. I saw ten other life-birds though - three in Asia and the other seven in Queensland.

Just out of interest, I counted up how many of the birds in my southeast Asia field guide I have seen. The book is the 2005 edition (I never got round to updating it) so the number will be different now due to splitting, but it contains about 1290 species including all the vagrants and stragglers. Of those I have seen 860 species - two-thirds - hence why there are so few lifers on the bird lists. There are still a handful of common birds which somehow I haven't managed to see yet, but mostly the ones I'm missing are species with very restricted distributions, are reclusive rainforest-dwellers, or are just vagrants which I'm unlikely to see anyway.

New mammals:
Sugar Glider Petaurus breviceps
Brown Antechinus Antechinus stuartii (not one of the "target mammals")
Sunda Pangolin Manis javanica
Agile Gibbon Hylobates agilis
Assamese Macaque Macaca assamensis
Indochinese Grey Langur Trachypithecus crepusculus
Little Red Flying Fox Pteropus scapulatus
Australian Humpback Dolphin Sousa sahulensis
Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis

New birds:
Monk (Quaker) Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus
Purple-backed (Daurian) Starling Agropsar (Sturnus) sturninus
Collared Owlet Glaucidium brodei
Little Friarbird Philemon citreogularis
Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus
Tawny Grassbird Megalurus (Cincloramphus) timoriensis
Pallid Cuckoo Cacomantis pallidus
Double-barred (Owl) Finch Taeniopygia bichenovii
Latham's Snipe Gallinago hardwickii
Australian Cicadabird Coracina (Edolisoma) tenuirostris



I'll list the mammals first given that the trip was mostly to find a few specific mammals.


MAMMALS
Already seen this year:
1) House Mouse Mus musculus
2) Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus
3) New Zealand Fur Seal Arctocephalus forsteri
4) Leopard Seal Hydrurga leptonyx
5) European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus

SYDNEY
6) Grey-headed Flying Fox Pteropus poliocephalus
7) Sugar Glider Petaurus breviceps
8) Swamp Wallaby Wallabia bicolor
9) Common Brush-tailed Possum Trichosurus vulpecula
10) Brown Antechinus Antechinus stuartii

SINGAPORE
11) Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata
12) Plantain squirrel Callosciurus notatus
13) Wild Pig Sus scrofa (vittatus)
14) Colugo Cynocephalus variegatus
15) Common Tree Shrew Tupaia glis
16) Slender Squirrel Sundasciurus tenuis
17) Sunda Pangolin Manis javanica

MALAYSIA
18) Crab-eating Macaque Macaca fascicularis
19) Banded Leaf Monkey Presbytis femoralis
20) White-handed (Lar) Gibbon Hylobates lar
21) Cream-coloured Giant Squirrel Ratufa affinis
22) Dusky Langur Trachypithecus obscurus
23) Malaysian Upland Squirrel Sundasciurus tahan
24) Agile Gibbon Hylobates agilis
25) Grey-bellied Squirrel Callosciurus caniceps
26) Himalayan Striped Squirrel Tamiops macclellandi
27) Red-bellied (Pallas') Squirrel Callosciurus erythraeus
28) White-thighed Langur Presbytis siamensis
29) Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista elegans
30) Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis

THAILAND
31) Assamese Macaque Macaca assamensis
32) Indochinese Grey Langur Trachypithecus crepusculus

33) Variable (Finlayson's) Squirrel Callosciurus finlaysonii

LAOS
Um, nothing...

THAILAND again
34) Northern Tree Shrew Tupaia belangeri
35) Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat Cynopterus sphinx
36) Berdmore's (Indochinese) Ground Squirrel Menetes berdmorei
37) Lyle's Flying Fox Pteropus lylei

BRISBANE and GOLD COAST
38) Black Flying Fox Pteropus alecto
39) Little Red Flying Fox Pteropus scapulatus
40) Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus
41) Koala Phascolarctos cinereus
42) Australian Humpback Dolphin Sousa sahulensis
43) Red-necked Wallaby Macropus rufogriseus
44) Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis
45) Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus



BIRDS
Already seen this year:
1) Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
2) House Sparrow Passer domesticus
3) European Blackbird Turdus merula
4) Feral Pigeon Columba livia
5) Southern Black-backed (Kelp) Gull Larus dominicanus
6) Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
7) Tui Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae
8) Pied Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa
9) Kaka Nestor meridionalis
10) New Zealand Pigeon Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
11) Pied Shag Phalacrocorax varius
12) New Zealand Scaup Aythya novaeseelandiae
13) Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
14) Little Pied Shag Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
15) Black Shag (Great Cormorant) Phalacrocorax carbo
16) Saddleback Philesturnus carunculatus
17) New Zealand Robin Petroica australis
18) Waxeye Zosterops lateralis
19) Californian Quail Callipepla californica
20) Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
21) Hedge Sparrow (Dunnock) Prunella modularis
22) Whitehead Mohoua albicilla
33) Stitchbird Notiomystis cincta
24) New Zealand Bellbird Anthornis melanura
25) Brown Teal Anas chlorotis
26) Red-billed Gull Larus novaehollandiae
27) Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
28) Variable Oystercatcher Haematopus unicolor
29) Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus
30) Canada Goose Branta canadensis
31) Paradise Duck Tadorna variegata
32) Grey Warbler Gerygone igata
33) Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella
34) Black Swan Cygnus atrata
35) Spur-winged Plover Vanellus novaehollandiae
36) White-headed (Pied) Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus
37) Grey Teal Anas gracilis
38) Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia
39) Pukeko (Purple Swamphen) Porphyrio porphyrio (I don't split these on my lists)
40) European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
41) Eastern Reef Heron Egretta sacra
42) Spotted Shag Stictocarbo punctatus
43) Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius
44) Tomtit Petroica macrocephala
45) Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
46) Red-crowned Kakariki Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae
47) Australasian Coot Fulica atra
48) European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
49) European Skylark Alauda arvensis
50) Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
51) White-fronted Tern Sterna striata
52) Caspian Tern Sterna caspia
53) Australasian Harrier Circus approximans
54) Banded dotterel Charadrius bicinctus
55) Little Black Shag Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
56) Australasian Gannet Morus serrator
57) New Zealand White-capped Albatross Thalassarche steadi
58) New Zealand Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae
59) White-faced Heron Ardea novaehollandiae
60) Australasian Shoveller Anas rhynchotis
61) New Zealand Dabchick Poliocephalus rufopectus
62) Black-fronted Dotterel Elseyornis melanops

SYDNEY
63) Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca
64) Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala
65) Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus
66) Common Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae
67) Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa
68) Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa
69) Common Mynah Acridotheres tristis
70) Galah Cacatua roseicapilla
71) Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita
72) Little Wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera
73) Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
74) Brown Falcon Falco berigora
75) Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus
76) Superb Blue Wren Malurus cyaneus
77) Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa
78) Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris
79) Willy Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys
80) Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis
81) Australian Little Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
82) White-cheeked Honeyeater Phylidonyris nigra
83) Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata
84) Bell Miner Manorina melanophrys
85) Lewin's Honeyeater Meliphaga lewinii
86) Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus
87) Australian Brush Turkey Alectura lathami
88) Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
89) White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis
90) Brown Gerygone Gerygone mouki
91) Australian King Parrot Alisterus scapularis
92) Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus
93) Australian Wood Duck Chenonetta jubata
94) Crested Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes
95) Pied Currawong Strepera graculina
96) Australian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae
97) Australian Raven Corvus coronoides
98) Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus
99) White-eyed Duck Aythya australis
100) Magpie-Lark Grallina cyanoleuca

SINGAPORE
101) Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
102) Striated Heron Butorides striatus
103) Germain's Swiftlet Collocalia germani
104) Monk (Quaker) Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus
105) Pink-necked Green Pigeon Treron vernans
106) Collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris
107) Oriental Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis
108) Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea
109) Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosa
110) Sunda Pigmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos moluccensis
111) White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus
112) Olive-backed Sunbird Nectarinia jugularis
113) Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier
114) Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis
115) Javan Mynah Acridotheres javanicus
116) House Crow Corvus splendens
117) Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus
118) Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea
119) Moustached Parakeet Psittacula alexandri
120) Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
121) Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica
122) Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis
123) Indian Ringneck Parakeet Psittacula krameri
124) Little Egret Egretta garzetta
125) Stork-billed Kingfisher Halcyon capensis
126) Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
127) Zebra Dove Geopelia striata
128) Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus
129) Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala
130) Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
131) Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica
132) Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

MALAYSIA
133) White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
134) Asian Glossy Starling Aplonis panayensis
135) Greater Green leafbird Chloropsis sonnerati
136) Orange-bellied Flowerpecker Dicaeum trigonostigma
137) Cream-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus simplex
138) Hairy-backed Bulbul Tricholestes criniger
139) Greater Hill Mynah Gracula religiosa
140) Orange-backed Woodpecker Reinwardtipicus validus
141) Purple-naped Sunbird Hypogramma hypogrammicum
142) Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis moluccensis
143) Striped Tit-Babbler Macronous gularis
144) Chestnut-breasted Malkoha Phoenicophaeus curvirostris
145) Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica
146) Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus brunneus
147) Tiger Shrike Lanius tigrinus
148) Buff-vented Bulbul Iole olivacea
149) Raffles' Malkoha Phoenicophaeus chlorophaeus
150) Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius
151) Asian Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi
152) Asian House Swift Apus nipalensis
153) White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus
154) Olive-winged Bulbul Pycnonotus plumosus
155) Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus
156) Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra
157) Grey-chested Jungle Flycatcher Rhinomyias umbratilis
158) Yellow-bellied Bulbul Alophoixus phaeocephalus
159) Checquer-throated Woodpecker Picus mentalis
160) Spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus erythrophthalmus
161) White-vented Mynah Acridotheres grandis
162) White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
163) Lineated Barbet Megalaima lineata
164) Long-tailed Parakeet Psittacula longicauda
165) Nutmeg Finch (Scaly-breasted Munia) Lonchura punctulata
166) Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia
167) Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
168) Black-thighed Falconet Microhierax fringillarius
169) Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus
170) White-bellied Yuhina Erpornis zantholeuca
171) Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus
172) Dark-necked Tailorbird Orthotomus atrogularis
173) Red-billed Malkoha Phoenicophaeus javanicus
174) Asian Fairy Bluebird Irena puella
175) Plain Flowerpecker Dicaeum concolor
176) Mountain Fulvetta Alcippe peracensis
177) Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis
178) White-throated Fantail Rhipidura albicollis
179) Streaked Spiderhunter Arachnothera magna
180) Glossy (White-bellied) Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta
181) Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
182) Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus flaviventris
183) Everett's White-eye Zosterops everetti
184) Eastern Crowned Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus
185) Mountain Tailorbird Phyllergates cucullatus
186) Golden Babbler Stachyridopsis chrysaea
187) Orange-breasted Trogon Harpactes oreskios
188) Black and Yellow Broadbill Eurylaimus ochromalus
189) Yellow-rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia
190) Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica
191) Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
192) Slaty-backed Forktail Enicurus schistaceus
193) Long-tailed Sibia Heterophasia picaoides
194) Black and Crimson Oriole Oriolus cruentus
195) Black-browed Barbet Megalaima oorti
196) Chestnut-capped Laughing Thrush Garrulax mitratus
197) Black-bellied Malkoha Phaenicophaeus diardi
198) Fire-tufted Barbet Psilopogon pyrolophus
199) Grey-chinned Minivet Pericrocotus solaris
200) Black-throated Sunbird Aethopyga saturata
201) Rufous-browed Flycatcher Ficedula solitaris
202) Lesser Racquet-tailed Drongo Dicrurus remifer
203) Red-headed Trogon Harpactes erythrocephalus
204) Grey-throated Babbler Stachyris nigriceps
205) Slender-billed Crow Corvus enca
206) Sultan Tit Melanochlora sultanea
207) Mountain Bulbul Hypsipetes macclellandii
208) Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus
209) Rufescent Prinia Prinia rufescens
210) Little Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia ruficeps
211) Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westermanni
212) Greater Yellownape Woodpecker Picus flavinucha
213) Silver-eared Mesia Leiothrix argentauris
214) Chestnut-crowned Warbler Seicercus castaniceps
215) Blue-winged Minla Siva cyanouroptera
216) Large Niltava Niltava grandis
217) Blue Nuthatch Sitta azurea
218) Ochraceous Bulbul Alophoixus ochraceus
219) Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus
220) Mountain Imperial Pigeon Ducula badia
221) Purple-backed (Daurian) Starling Agropsar (Sturnus) sturninus

THAILAND
[number 222 removed as duplicate]
223) Sooty-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus aurigaster
224) Ashy Woodswallow Artamus fuscus
225) Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus
226) Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
227) Crested Tree-Swift Hemiprocne coronata
228) Asian Openbill Stork Anastomus oscitans
229) Asian Pied Fantail Rhipidura javanica
230) Streak-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus blanfordi
231) Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum
232) Green-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus tristis
233) Himalayan Swiftlet Collocalia brevirostris

LAOS
234) Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius
235) Collared Owlet Glaucidium brodei
236) Puff-throated Bulbul Alophoixus pallidus
237) Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus

THAILAND again
238) Great Egret Egretta alba
239) Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis
240) Asian Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger
241) Crow-billed Drongo Dicrurus annectens
242) Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus
243) Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala
244) Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos (I don't split up the Large-billed Crow complex because the taxonomy is still too messy)
245) Asian Pied Starling Sturnus (Gracupica) contra
246) Black-collared Starling Sturnus (Gracupica) nigricollis
247) Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla
248) Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis
249) Black-winged Cuckoo-Shrike Coracina melaschistos
250) Javan Pond Heron Ardeola speciosa
251) Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
252) Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
253) White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus
254) Brown-headed Gull Larus brunnicephalus
255) Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus
256) Common Redshank Tringa totanus
257) Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
258) Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
259) Black-capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata
260) Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva
261) Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis
262) Hill Blue Flycatcher Cyornis banyumas
263) Golden-bellied Gerygone Gerygone sulphurea
264) Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea
265) Hainan Blue Flycatcher Cyornis hainanus
266) Large Cuckoo-Shrike Coracina macei
267) Plain Prinia Prinia inornata
268) Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus
269) Eurasian Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
270) Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis
271) Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
272) Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis
273) Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
274) Stejneger's Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri
275) Richard's Pipit Anthus richardi
276) Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii

BRISBANE and GOLD COAST
277) Australian Figbird Sphecotheres vieilloti
278) Torresian Crow Corvus orru
279) Grey Butcherbird Craciticus torquatus
280) Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicollis
281) Banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis
282) Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis
283) Grey Shrike-Thrush Colluricincla harmonica
284) Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus
285) Blue-faced Honeyeater Entomyzon cyanotis
286) Red-backed Fairy-Wren Malurus melanocephalus
287) Pale-headed Rosella Platycercus adscitus
288) Long-billed Corella Cacatua tenuirostris
289) Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmata
290) Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike Coracina novaehollandiae
291) Bush Stone-Curlew Burhinus grallarius
292) Scarlet Honeyeater Myzomela sanguinolenta
293) Little Friarbird Philemon citreogularis (I'm genuinely bewildered how this can be a lifer!)
294) Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
295) Noisy Friarbird Philemon corniculatus
296) Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus
297) Great Crested Tern Sterna bergii
298) Little Corella Cacatua sanguinea
299) White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus
300) Osprey Pandion haliaetus (I don't split Ospreys)
301) Leaden Flycatcher Myiagra rubecula
302) Bar-shouldered Dove Geopelia humeralis
303) Australian Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris
304) Black Kite Milvus migrans
305) Tawny Grassbird Megalurus (Cincloramphus) timoriensis
306) Brown Honeyeater Lichmera indistincta
307) Pallid Cuckoo Cacomantis pallidus
308) Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
309) Fairy Martin Hirundo ariel
310) Double-barred (Owl) Finch Taeniopygia bichenovii
311) Brown Quail Coturnix ypsilophora
312) Red-browed Firetail Neochmia temporalis
313) Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides
314) Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis
315) Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus
316) Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis
317) Latham's Snipe Gallinago hardwickii
318) White-winged Triller Lalage tricolor
319) Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis (I don't split the Golden Whistler complex because it is just too complex!)
320) Comb-crested Jacana Jacana gallinacea
321) Brown Thornbill Acanthiza pusilla
322) Large-billed Scrubwren Sericornis magnirostris
323) White-throated Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaeus
324) Pacific (Australian) Koel Eudynamys orientalis
325) Shining Cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus
326) Australian Cicadabird Coracina (Edolisoma) tenuirostris
327) Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus


(Edit note: the bird total is actually 326 because I had a mistaken ID in the list which meant that one of the species ended up being duplicated)

I don’t want to nitpick but since the split the Rainbow Lorikeet is Trichoglossus Moluccanus as Trichoglossus Haematodus refers to the Coconut Lorikeet.
 
for mammas the best one is mammals of europe north afrika and middle east.
That's this one? I came across it while looking up field guides but the drawings seem a bit poor.

I was also looking at these two: Mammals of Mid-Europe and Atlas of Mammals of Europe, North Africa etc pp. Both by the same author, but want to have a look inside first as the second one is a tad more expensive and I wanna make sure it's worth the extra money. I think our university library has them all so I can go and compare.
for birds the best one by far is just cald bird guide. it has all of western paleartic in it
I just got the Collins Bird Guide (which I assume is the one you're talking about) as a paperback through amazon. I find it a bit too small. I read somewhere that the hardcover is supposed to be bigger. But then I also saw pages saying there's three versions: paperback, hardcover and large format (which is usually sold out). Anyone know what the deal is with that? Ideally I'd like something around the same size as the Australian Bird Guide.
 
That's this one? I came across it while looking up field guides but the drawings seem a bit poor.

That's the one I have for Europe - it's not an ideal book (the artwork lets it down a bit, as you say) but the text is mostly very good and I've not found anything better without spending major money.

I just got the Collins Bird Guide (which I assume is the one you're talking about) as a paperback through amazon. I find it a bit too small. I read somewhere that the hardcover is supposed to be bigger. But then I also saw pages saying there's three versions: paperback, hardcover and large format (which is usually sold out). Anyone know what the deal is with that? Ideally I'd like something around the same size as the Australian Bird Guide.

Collins is by far the best European field guide that I've seen. The paperback and hardbacks are the same size as far as I'm aware - the large format is much bigger, more of a 'coffee table' book than a field guide.
 
Collins is by far the best European field guide that I've seen. The paperback and hardbacks are the same size as far as I'm aware - the large format is much bigger, more of a 'coffee table' book than a field guide.
I used the Collins guide on a short trip to Europe in the middle of the year and was happy with it.
 
Collins is by far the best European field guide that I've seen. The paperback and hardbacks are the same size as far as I'm aware - the large format is much bigger, more of a 'coffee table' book than a field guide.
I don't really take field guides into the field anyway^^ (Apps are much better for that.)
Usually I just have them so I can study up on what's around and what to look for and then they stay behind in the car. Of course I don't want to lug around a way oversized giant tome either. Maybe I just need to get used to the different size but I feel like some of the details are getting lost with the small sized pics (like with the in-flight ones).
 
(Apps are much better for that.)

You may be aware already but there is actually an app version of Collins as well if you fancy it! (Promise I'm not on a sales commision..! :D )
 
BIRDS:
700) Wallcreeper, Tichodroma muraria

(Benelux: 250)

I don't think I could have asked for a better species to 'round this year off'! I won't stop birding until the year is fully over of course, but both the 700 and the 250 were milestones I had set for this year so I'm very happy to have reached both. Wallcreeper is by far one of the coolest birds I've ever seen as well!
 
That's this one? I came across it while looking up field guides but the drawings seem a bit poor.

I was also looking at these two: Mammals of Mid-Europe and Atlas of Mammals of Europe, North Africa etc pp. Both by the same author, but want to have a look inside first as the second one is a tad more expensive and I wanna make sure it's worth the extra money. I think our university library has them all so I can go and compare.

I just got the Collins Bird Guide (which I assume is the one you're talking about) as a paperback through amazon. I find it a bit too small. I read somewhere that the hardcover is supposed to be bigger. But then I also saw pages saying there's three versions: paperback, hardcover and large format (which is usually sold out). Anyone know what the deal is with that? Ideally I'd like something around the same size as the Australian Bird Guide.

This German mammal atlas is poor, with bad maps, outdated taxonomy and it is hard to use for IDing mammals.
 
Just remembered that I haven't updated my list in a while; the four birds and mammal were from my recent trip to North Norfolk while the insect is from several weeks back.

113. Pink-footed goose Anser brachyrhynchus
114. Goldcrest Regulus regulus
115. Grey partridge Perdix perdix
116. Common guillemot Uria aalge

12. Common seal Phoca vitulina

84. Leaf beetle Chrysolina banksii

I have realised that I forgot to list another bird and two new mammals that I have seen since my last update. All three species were seen from my bedroom window:

117. Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus

13. Stoat Mustela erminea
14. Red fox Vulpes vulpes
 
This German mammal atlas is poor, with bad maps, outdated taxonomy and it is hard to use for IDing mammals.

Yeah, I had a look at the books earlier today and came to the same conclusion.
I think I might put the other two on my wishlist and maybe this bird guide to have one more focused on the immediate area. Will see what Santa brings^^

You may be aware already but there is actually an app version of Collins as well if you fancy it! (Promise I'm not on a sales commision..! :D )
Is that one the best out there?
 
Turns out the snipes I saw along with the Jabiru were actually Latham’s Snipes. I got the whole thing on video and in the video you can hear the snipes call before they take off and they are clearly Latham’s Snipes. I’m however keeping painted snipe on my list due to the male I’ve seen several times mentioned in my last post. The Jabiru is still hanging around and I’ve seen it twice more now in the last few days. The Emerald Dove was seen the other day which is nice as I haven’t seen one in a couple of years. I also saw a pair of rose crowned fruit doves today which was very cool. I’m nearly at my goal of 150!

Birds:
144. Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps longirostris)
145. Latham’s Snipe (Gallinago hardwickii)
Birds:
146. White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis)
146. Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla)
147. Forest Kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii)

Getting closer to my goal of 150!
 
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It seems Birdlife Australia now regard the splits as valid.

Also coming to a bird list near you - blue-faced honeyeater to be split, and magpies (again) maybe into three.

Rainbow lorikeet is not one, but actually six different species
Yes, the problem with all bird lists following what amounts to the same source for splitting, especially in the internet age, is that it looks like there is some solid body of evidence for them. In this case, it appears to be colour and that is all (if you look at the different pages for the various forms of Rainbow Lorikeet on HBW, their scoring criteria are all for colouration and in a couple of cases "larger size"). The Tobias Criteria has been discussed elsewhere on the forum, and I'm not a fan of its wholesale execution.

But, in any case, I keep a taxonomic list which includes subspecies so I know what I have and haven't seen. Whether I accept or don't accept any split/lump only affects my life list total and that's just a number.
 
I haven't updated for months now, but there is not much news:

575. Crested tit
576. Sanderling

The Crested tit is also a new species for my tiny garden.

And my first invertebrate listing of the year is mainly noteworthy because it was one of the last Land snail species from the Netherlands I had not seen yet.

1. Craven door snail (Clausilia dubia)

577. Ruddy turnstone

I am hoping I can add 1-2 more before the end of the year, but no real birding is planned.
 
Yes, the problem with all bird lists following what amounts to the same source for splitting, especially in the internet age, is that it looks like there is some solid body of evidence for them. In this case, it appears to be colour and that is all (if you look at the different pages for the various forms of Rainbow Lorikeet on HBW, their scoring criteria are all for colouration and in a couple of cases "larger size"). The Tobias Criteria has been discussed elsewhere on the forum, and I'm not a fan of its wholesale execution.

But, in any case, I keep a taxonomic list which includes subspecies so I know what I have and haven't seen. Whether I accept or don't accept any split/lump only affects my life list total and that's just a number.
The problem with splits from a Zoo POV is that they play havoc with breeding programs. Lumps good, splits bad :)
 
Birds:
146. White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis)
146. Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla)
147. Forest Kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii)

Getting closer to my goal of 150!
I'll just put you on 148 then.

Only two to go now.
 
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