ID Challenge #4 - closes 14 November 2009

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Neil Fitzgerald
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ID Challenge #4 - closes 14 November 2009

Postby Neil Fitzgerald » Sat Oct 31, 2009 11:36 pm

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Answers for this challenge are due by replying to this topic by midnight (NZDT) on Saturday 14 November 2009.
Click here for the rules.

Remember, your answers will not be visible to anyone else until after the closing date.

You have to be in to win, so if a place on a scheduled Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ pelagic trip sounds interesting, make sure you enter.

Good luck.
TonyWilson
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Re: ID Challenge #4 - closes 14 November 2009

Postby TonyWilson » Sun Nov 01, 2009 1:19 pm

Pied Shag, juvenile.
Cheers, Tony Wilson.
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bruce.shanks
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Re: ID Challenge #4 - closes 14 November 2009

Postby bruce.shanks » Sun Nov 01, 2009 4:44 pm

Juvenile Pied Shag (Phalacrocorax varius)
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ledzep
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Re: ID Challenge #4 - closes 14 November 2009

Postby ledzep » Sun Nov 01, 2009 5:12 pm

Juvenile Pied Shag.
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Wynston Cooper
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Re: ID Challenge #4 - closes 14 November 2009

Postby Wynston Cooper » Sun Nov 01, 2009 8:33 pm

Hmm ... They don't get any easier!

Given the apparently long, grey bill, possibly bluish eye-ring, and that the throat (and probably breast) are white with dark streaking/mottling rather than the other way round, I'll go with an (in my experience) unusually marked juvenile/immature Pied Shag.

(Fingers crossed)
Wynston Cooper
harrier.talon
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Re: ID Challenge #4 - closes 14 November 2009

Postby harrier.talon » Mon Nov 02, 2009 1:03 am

Pied shag - Juvenile
Swissbirder2000
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Re: ID Challenge #4 - closes 14 November 2009

Postby Swissbirder2000 » Mon Nov 02, 2009 2:17 am

It's a member of the shag-family. It seems quite a big one with a strong bill. Brownish-dark above, streaked and mottled underparts with a white throat patch. Eye with a blueish eyring and a in front of the eye a patch of bare skin. Pied shag and ad.King Shag have a bare patch. The mottled underparts suggests a juv bird and therefore only Pied Shag with the bare patch in front of the eye match.
So I go for juv. Pied Shag.
Will Parsons
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Re: ID Challenge #4 - closes 14 November 2009

Postby Will Parsons » Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:44 am

Juvenile Pied shag
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Shane McPherson
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Re: ID Challenge #4 - closes 14 November 2009

Postby Shane McPherson » Tue Nov 03, 2009 7:24 am

As I see it there are three possibilities. The caruncles infront of the eye rules out all but Pied Shag, King Shag & Chatham Island Shag. A juvenile in any case, as the caruncles are not yet brightly pigmented, and the feathers fresh and shiny. The head profile low and long, with yellow tinge to caruncles eliminates CI Shag. And out with King due to a lack of white on the shoulder/coverts, and in the R&H fieldguide juvenile king shags are illustrated as lacking caruncles (too bad the location isnt apparent).

Pied Cormorant - juvenile
Phalacrocorax varius
Rewi

Re: ID Challenge #4 - closes 14 November 2009

Postby Rewi » Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:32 pm

Black Shag

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