ZooChat Big Year 2020

[Luca Bronzi]

New trips confirmed for the next two months:
First Rome and Vatican, then Madrid (both for few days)
I hope I'll have the opportunity to do some birdwatching.


Also, if everything goes well, this Sunday I'll go to a nearby zoo, and I will be able to see some birds, like doves or magpies.

 

[Chlidonias]

Mammals

10 Indian flying fox Pteropus medius

I was about to suggest that this was a typo for giganteus, but I googled Pteropus medius and found to my surprise that this is being used as the scientific name in certain places - although in terms of general sites really only on Wikipedia.

I found the paper regarding the proposed name change (from 2012 [!] so it isn't some recent proposal either): https://www.ceson.org/vespertilio/16/203_204_Mlikovsky.pdf

Basically he's saying that giganteus is a synonym of vampyrus, and therefore the next available name has to be used for the Indian Flying Fox, which would be medius.

The two names are used variously in research papers on the species' biology (both post- and pre-2012) but in terms of the name itself the change to medius doesn't appear to have been taken up by any reputable taxonomic sources. The IUCN still uses P. giganteus, for example, and I can't find anything from the ICZN about it. So, especially given that it has been eight years since the paper and nothing legitimate has happened with it, I'm sticking with P. giganteus.

 

[WhistlingKite24]

Birds
81. Brown Honeyeater Lichmera indistincta

A few additions from a recent trip to the beach and my visit to Darling Downs Zoo yesterday.

Birds
82. Eastern Osprey Pandion cristatus
83. White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae
84. Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
85. White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus
86. Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides
87. Red-rumped Parrot Psephotus haematonotus
88. Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus

Invertebrates
35. Soldier Crab Mictyris longicarpus

 

[Vision]

A 5 day trip to Poland wasn't quite as birdy as I had hoped it to be, but got me some additions regardless! In most of the national parks I spent hours without seeing a single bird (not exaggerating), but luckily the one bird I had really been hoping for miraculously showed up. 2020 will have to be a very good year for ural owl not to be one of my top 10 birds overall!

BIRDS:
106) Eurasian skylark, Alauda arvensis
107) Eurasian nuthatch, Sitta europaea
108) Eurasian treecreeper, Certhia familiaris
109) Hooded crow, Corvus cornix
110) Brambling, Fringilla montifringilla
111) Ural owl, Strix uralensis
112) Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella
113) Hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes

MAMMALS:
2) Red deer, Cervus elaphus

My totals for Poland are 36 birds and 2 mammals - Winter doesn't seem to be the best time of year to visit this amazing country.

Seems like I accidentally double-counted nuthatch, so I'm actually on 112.
I've posted my ural owl pictures in the gallery!

 

[oflory]

Morning walk around Wormwood Scrubs, picked up three 2020 ticks:

54: Greater spotted woodpecker
55: Redwing
56: Meadow pipit

 

[MRJ]

In which

I was about to suggest that this was a typo for giganteus, but I googled Pteropus medius and found to my surprise that this is being used as the scientific name in certain places - although in terms of general sites really only on Wikipedia.

I found the paper regarding the proposed name change (from 2012 [!] so it isn't some recent proposal either): https://www.ceson.org/vespertilio/16/203_204_Mlikovsky.pdf

Basically he's saying that giganteus is a synonym of vampyrus, and therefore the next available name has to be used for the Indian Flying Fox, which would be medius.

The two names are used variously in research papers on the species' biology (both post- and pre-2012) but in terms of the name itself the change to medius doesn't appear to have been taken up by any reputable taxonomic sources. The IUCN still uses P. giganteus, for example, and I can't find anything from the ICZN about it. So, especially given that it has been eight years since the paper and nothing legitimate has happened with it, I'm sticking with P. giganteus.

In which case I'll be changing my list to giganteus.

 

[lintworm]

After one month it is time for an update. I haven't done much birding and if mostly close to home.

1. Little grebe
2. Great crested grebe
3. Great cormorant
4. Great white egret
5. Grey heron
6. European white stork
7. Mute swan
8. Greater white-fronted goose
9. Greylag goose
10. Tundra bean goose
11. Canada goose
12. Barnacle goose
13. Egyptian goose
14. Common shellduck
15. Mallard
16. Gadwall
17. Northern shoveler
18. Eurasian wigeon
19. Common teal
20. Tufted duck
21. Goosander
22. Smew
23. Common buzzard
24. Eurasian sparrowhawk
25. Goshawk
26. Common kestrel
27. Common pheasant
28. Eurasian coot
29. Common moorhen
30. Northern lapwing
31. Black-headed gull
32. Herring gull
33. Feral rock pigeon
34. Eurasian wood pigeon
35. Stock dove
36. Eurasian collared dove
37. Tawny owl
38. Rose-ringed parakeet
39. Alexandrine parakeet
40. Great spotted woodpecker
41. Eurasian skylark
42. Meadow pipit
43. White wagtail
44. Eurasian wren
45. Dunnock
46. Eurasian robin
47. Song thrush
48. Blackbird
49. Redwing
50. Fieldfare
51. Goldcrest
52. Great tit
53. Blue tit
54. Long-tailed tit
55. Eurasian nuthatch
56. Short-toed treecreeper
57. Eurasian magpie
58. Eurasian jay
59. Jackdaw
60. Carrion crow
61. European starling
62. House sparrow
63. Chaffinch
64. Goldfinch
65. Eurasian greenfinch

Still plenty of common species missing like Green woodpecker, Crested tit, Reed bunting and many others...

Mammals
1. European roe deer
2. European hare
3. Bank vole
4. House mouse

Both rodents were seen in zoo buildings, the vole in Burgers' Mangrove and the mouse in the Hippodom, Cologne.

Some additions from around town:

66. Little owl
67. Red-crested pochard
68. Common gull

 

[Najade]

Have to take Common Linnet off my list. So here's the updated version with a couple new additions from a walk around our local lake.

Mammals
01. Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
02. European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
03. Western European House Mouse (Mus domesticus)
04. European Hare (Lepus europaeus)
05. European Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus)

Birds
01. Feral Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)
02. Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
03. Common Blackbird (Turdus merula)
04. Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
05. Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica)
06. Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
07. Great Tit (Parus major)
08. European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
09. Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
10. Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
11. Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
12. Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
13. Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
14. Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
15. Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
16. Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
17. Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
18. Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
19. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
20. Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
21. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
22. Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
23. Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
24. European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
25. Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
26. Long-tailed Bushtit (Aegithalos caudatus)
27. Great Egret (Ardea alba)
28. Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
29. Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
30. Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
31. Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
32. European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris)
33. Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
34. Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
35. Stock Dove (Columba oenas)
36. Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)
37. Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
38. Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
39. Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)
40. Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
41. Redwing (Turdus iliacus)
42. Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

43. European Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
44. Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)
45. Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
46. Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
47. Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
48. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
49. Western Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)

 

[Dannelboyz]

A few more birds at Dandenong Valley Wetland, Victoria.

BIRDS
154 - Brown Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus)
155 - European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris)*
156 - Bell Miner (Manorina melanophrys)
157 - Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor)

A walk in Wirrawilla Rainforest, Toolangi, followed by some spotlighting at Badger Weir. A lot of birds heard... not so many seen. But some good mammals: 22 Greater Gliders and tons of microbats, including White-striped Free-tailed Bats and probable Chocolate Wattled Bats (though I can't be confident of ID). Common Wombat, Common Brushtail Possum, Common Ringtail Possum, Sugar Glider, Swamp Wallaby, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Grey-headed Flying-fox were also seen while spotlighting or on the roadside as I drove home.

MAMMALS
13 - Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor)
14 - Southern Greater Glider (Petauroides volans)
15 - Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps)

BIRDS
-- Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) [heard]
158 - Satin Flycatcher (Myiagra cyanoleuca)
159 - Rufous Fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons)
-- Crescent Honeyeater (Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus) [heard]
-- Red-browed Treecreeper (Climacteris erythrops) [heard]
-- Greater Sooty Owl (Tyto tenebricosa) [heard]
-- Australian Boobook (Ninox boobook) [heard]

 

[Chlidonias]

...some spotlighting at Badger Weir. A lot of birds heard... not so many seen. But some good mammals: 22 Greater Gliders...

What?! Where is this place in relation to Melbourne? I'm guessing you'd need a car to get there though?

 

[birdsandbats]

Birds
57. Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio

Birds
58. Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo

 

[Dannelboyz]

What?! Where is this place in relation to Melbourne? I'm guessing you'd need a car to get there though?

It's about 5 mins down the road from Healesville Sanctuary. You would need a car to go spotlighting but if you are in town without a car, shoot me a message and I'll let you know when I'm free.

 

[WhistlingKite24]

A few additions from a recent trip to the beach and my visit to Darling Downs Zoo yesterday.

Birds
82. Eastern Osprey Pandion cristatus
83. White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae
84. Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
85. White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus
86. Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides
87. Red-rumped Parrot Psephotus haematonotus
88. Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus

Invertebrates
35. Soldier Crab Mictyris longicarpus

Invertebrates
36. Red House Spider Nesticodes rufipes

 

[Junklekitteb]

Reptiles
3. Asian House Gecko Hemidactylus frenatus

 

[animal_expert01]

Birds:
66. Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)
67. Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus)
68. Tawny Grassbird (Megalurus timoriensis)
69. Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis)
70. Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii)

Fish:
6. Butter Bream
7. Summer Whiting (Sillago ciliata)
8. Indo-Pacific Sergeant Major (Abudefduf vaigiensis)
9. Moses Perch (Lutjanus russelli)
10. Spotted Scat (Scatophagus argus)

Also just a note that black bittern was actually a lifer, I just forgot to bold it.

Also would anyone such as @Hix know what the very common species of brown tang are called? They are pretty much completely brown and have a white spot on the tail.

Birds:
71. Yellow-throated Scrubwren (Sericornis citreogularis)
72. Woompoo Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus)
73. Brown Gerygone (Gerygone mouki)
74. Pale Yellow Robin (Tregellasia capito)
75. Black Faced Monarch (Monarcha melanopsis)
76. Paradise Riflebird (Ptiloris paradiseus)
77. Latham’s Snipe (Gallinago hardwickii)
78. Topknot Pigeon (Lopholaimus antarcticus)
79. White Necked Heron (Ardea pacifica)
80. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
81. Jabiru (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)

Mammals:
4. Red Legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica)

Reptiles:
5. Green Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis punctulata)

I’ve had a few fantastic days of animal watching. The paradises riflebirds we’re incredible and that was the first time I had ever seen a bird of paradise. They have been one of the animals I had most wanted to see for a very long time. Woompoo pigeon was great as it’s one of my favourite species and it was the first time I had seen one in the wild for nearly 5 years. One of the red Legged Pademelon I saw had a joey. The Jabiru was the same pair I saw originally.

 

[Chlidonias]

It's about 5 mins down the road from Healesville Sanctuary. You would need a car to go spotlighting but if you are in town without a car, shoot me a message and I'll let you know when I'm free.

Thanks, that'd be great. I have no idea when I'll be back in Melbourne though - depends on if I go to Asia this year I suppose.

 

[MRJ]

Mudhouse continued. In all we saw about 71 species over the two days we were here. We arrived about 2am and of course I was up at 6 to see what was on offer. My wife said it was like I had been dropped in the candy shop. The birds were everywhere and so easy to see. Bird of the stop was the Sri Lankan junglefowl.

80. Alexandrine parakeet Psttacula eupatia
81. Rose-ring parakeet Psittacula krameri
82. Grey-bellied cockoo Cacomantis passerinus
83. Greater coucal Centropus sinensis
84. Blue-faced malkoha Rhopodytes viridirostris
85. Brown fish owl Ketupa zeylonensis
86. Jerdon's nightjar Caprimulgus atripennis
87. Green bee-eater Merops orientalis
88. Blue-tailed bee-eater Merops philippinus
89. Common kingfisher Alcedo atthis
90. Blue-eared kingfisher Alcedo meninting
91. White-throated kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
92. Malabar pied hornbill Anthracoceros coronatus
93. Lesser goldenback woodpecker Dinopium benghalense
94. Indian pitta Pitta brachyura
95. Black-hooded oriole Oriolus xanthornus
96. Ashy woodswallow Artamus fuscus
97. Sri Lankan woodshrike Tephrodornis affinis
98. Scarlet minivet Pericrocotus flammeus
99. Common iora Aegithina tiphia
100. Brown shrike Cristatus lannius
101, Large-billed crow Corvus macrorhynchos
102. Jerdon's bushlark Mirafra affinis
103, Common tailorbird Orthotonus sutorius
104. Ashy prinia Prinia hodgsonii
105. Plain prinia Prinia inornata
106. Jungle prinia Prinia sylvatica
107, Barn swallow Hirundo rustica
108. Red-vented bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
109. White-browed bulbul Pycnonotus luteolus
110. Dark-fronted babbler Rhopocichla atriceps
111. Yellow-billed babbler Turdoides affinis
112. Oriental magpie robin Copsychus saularis
113. Brown-breasted flycatcher Muscicapa mutri
114. Indian robin Saxioloides fulicatus
115. Pale-billed flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrorhyncos
116. Jerdon's leafbird Chloropsis jerdoni
117. Purple-rumped sunbird Leptocoma zeylonica
118. Purple sunbird Nectarinia asiatica
119. Lotan's sunbird Nectarinia lotenia
120. Scaly-breasted munia Lonchura punctulata
121. White-rumped munia Lonchura striata
122. Paddyfield pipit Anthus rufulus

 

[MRJ]

Mudhouse reptiles. Unnervingly, the crocodile was in a lake next to our accommodation. They were building a trap to translocate it but there did not seem to be any urgency.

1. Mugger crocodile Crocodylus palustris
2. Asian water monitor Varanus salvator
3. House gecko Hemidactylus frenatus
4, Oriental garden lizard Calotis versicolor

 

[Junklekitteb]

Mudhouse continued. In all we saw about 71 species over the two days we were here. We arrived about 2am and of course I was up at 6 to see what was on offer. My wife said it was like I had been dropped in the candy shop. The birds were everywhere and so easy to see. Bird of the stop was the Sri Lankan junglefowl.

80. Alexandrine parakeet Psttacula eupatia
81. Rose-ring parakeet Psittacula krameri
82. Grey-bellied cockoo Cacomantis passerinus
83. Greater coucal Centropus sinensis
84. Blue-faced malkoha Rhopodytes viridirostris
85. Brown fish owl Ketupa zeylonensis
86. Jerdon's nightjar Caprimulgus atripennis
87. Green bee-eater Merops orientalis
88. Blue-tailed bee-eater Merops philippinus
89. Common kingfisher Alcedo atthis
90. Blue-eared kingfisher Alcedo meninting
91. White-throated kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
92. Malabar pied hornbill Anthracoceros coronatus
93. Lesser goldenback woodpecker Dinopium benghalense
94. Indian pitta Pitta brachyura
95. Black-hooded oriole Oriolus xanthornus
96. Ashy woodswallow Artamus fuscus
97. Sri Lankan woodshrike Tephrodornis affinis
98. Scarlet minivet Pericrocotus flammeus
99. Common iora Aegithina tiphia
100. Brown shrike Cristatus lannius
101, Large-billed crow Corvus macrorhynchos
102. Jerdon's bushlark Mirafra affinis
103, Common tailorbird Orthotonus sutorius
104. Ashy prinia Prinia hodgsonii
105. Plain prinia Prinia inornata
106. Jungle prinia Prinia sylvatica
107, Barn swallow Hirundo rustica
108. Red-vented bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
109. White-browed bulbul Pycnonotus luteolus
110. Dark-fronted babbler Rhopocichla atriceps
111. Yellow-billed babbler Turdoides affinis
112. Oriental magpie robin Copsychus saularis
113. Brown-breasted flycatcher Muscicapa mutri
114. Indian robin Saxioloides fulicatus
115. Pale-billed flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrorhyncos
116. Jerdon's leafbird Chloropsis jerdoni
117. Purple-rumped sunbird Leptocoma zeylonica
118. Purple sunbird Nectarinia asiatica
119. Lotan's sunbird Nectarinia lotenia
120. Scaly-breasted munia Lonchura punctulata
121. White-rumped munia Lonchura striata
122. Paddyfield pipit Anthus rufulus

Man, you’re making me jealous! I haven’t seen many of those living 14 years in India!

 

[Luca Bronzi]

Today, on Zoo delle Maitine grounds...

Birds

15. Eurasian Magpie - Pica pica
16. Eurasian Collared-Dove - Streptopelia decaocto
17. Great Tit - Parus major