Solution for the round VI.

Solution

Photo: Dick Hoek, Wadi Gamal – Egypt, 2009

It is very obvious that the bird on the picture belongs to the Sylvia genus.
Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) can be excluded primarily because it has rust-reddish or bright rufous panel on the wing, in stark contrast with the back, and has yellow feet.
The nominal race of Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) has black or blackish legs, grey head contrasting with the earth-brown back. At the same time this species has dark grey ear-coverts which are darker than the crown. The base of the lower mandible is grey.
Females of Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala) have pronounced red orbital ring, light grey head, in contrast with the brown back and flanks, and with much more warm brown nuance of the plumage than the bird in our picture. Also, the base of the lower mandible is usually grey.
Juveniles of Cyprus Warbler (Sylvia melanothorax) have shorter tail, stained or spotted undertail coverts, dark grey head and dusky cold grey-brown flanks. Tertials and greater coverts of the wing have distinct pale edges. The general impression of juveniles appears dark, unlike the bird in our picture.
Females of Rüppel’s Warbler (Sylvia rüeppelli) have dark grey head, reddish or brick-brown orbital ring and grey flanks. The bill is long and slightly down-curved. Characteristic for this species is the distinct white moustachial stripe. The blackish tertials, and often also secondaries and greater coverts have distinct pale edges.
Juveniles and females of Spectacled Warbler (Sylvia conspicillata) have very short wing projection, light coloured legs, wide and very stressed rufous wing panel.

Juvenile Tristram’s Warblers (Sylvia deserticola) have pale tarsus, very long tail, sometimes with negligible orbital ring. The wing (including the tertials’ edge) is brownish-rusty.
Marmora’s Warbler (Sylvia sarda), Balearic Warbler (S. balearica) and Dartford Warbler (S. undata) often have pale, yellowish feet. The very long tail, the short primary projection and the dark lower body is typical for all three species.
The Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans) juveniles and females can be very similar to the bird in our image. However there are some small differences which together exclude this species. The bill of Subalpine Warbler is slightly softer with yellowish but no pinkish-yellow or flashy base. Undertail coverts of the bird in our picture are buffy-grey (incidentally with pink tinge), unlike the Subalpine Warbler’s undertail which is usually white. Tarsus is often more yellowish than the feet of our bird (dark reddish-brown), but this is widely variable. Head colour is usually grey, in light contrast with the back which often has a brown tone. The bird in the picture has almost uniform upperparts. Unusually, our bird’s tertials tend to have a relatively visible pale edge, which is typical for Subalpine Warbler, but it is good to remark that this is due to the worn feathers.
If we consult the picture carefully we can remark that the top of the three outer tail feathers have white spots, which character appears especially in case of adults, only rarely juveniles in the case of Subalpine Warbler.
The best and in the same time unambiguous character to eliminate this species is the colour of the upper tail, which is black, in sharp contrast with the back.
Therefore the only one species remaining is the Ménétries’s Warbler (Sylvia mystacea). The picture shows a female bird, probably in second calendar year.

The following people (listed by submission date beginning with the earliest) submitted correct answers for the 6th Round of Mystery Bird Quiz – Sylvia mystacea:

• Ádám Faragó – Hungary
• Carlos Gutiérrez – Spain
• Dezső Péter – Hungary
• William Velmala – Finland
• Andrew Holden – United Kingdom
• Rami Lindroos – Finland
• Markus Lampinen – Finland
• Hannu Huhtinen – Finland
• Liviu Pârâu – Romania

The following list shows the number of submissions for each species guessed:

• Ménétries’s Warbler (Sylvia mystacea): 9
• Blackstart (Cercomela melanura): 1
• Cyprus Warbler (Sylvia melanothorax): 1
• Spectacled Warbler (Sylvia conspicillata): 1
• Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca): 1

Solution for the round V.

Consultation the photo of the 5^th Round, we notice that the bird has predominantly black upper body and white body feathers on the bottom. We can see also the color of the feet, which is pink, pinkish-red. Furthermore, if we considering the behavior of the bird, which dives with wings tautly attached to the body, we can eliminate many species.
Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) it is white on the back, have bright red feet, showing black only on remiges and the way to dive is completely different. All sulids dives to catch fish in spectacular plunge-dives, piercing the water from the air vertical or oblique.
Razorbill (Alca torda) have blackish-gray or gray-purple, rarely reddish feet. Puffin and Tufted Puffin (Fratercula arctica and Lunda cirrhata) show pinkish-orange or orange-red feet and it should be noted that the species from Alcidae family have typical diving way with open wings before them entering under the water. This group uses only the wing for propulsion underwater and dive by tipping their bodies forward with their wing open and feet up. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/8250397@N05/1554694252). Therefore, thus all species of this family can be eliminated.
Accordingly only the diving ducks remained in discussion.

Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) have gray or grayish-black feet and not pink as in bird from our picture. Long-tailed Ducks immerse into the water with open wings, and using their wings and feet for propulsion underwater and dives with wing flick. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dah_professor/3216492345/).
Once here, one can quickly rule out all these possible species from the Western Palearctic, excepting Goldeneyes and Bufflehead (Bucephala sp.) which diving with wings attached to the body.
Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) has more black on the rear end and vent. In diving, on the closed black wing we can remark the white mirror, which missing on the bird from our picture. However, this species have yellow-orange and no pink feet.
Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) resembles the species on our image, but has also more yellow-orange legs. The vent and the small region behind the tail are black, the side is mostly white and all this can be visible in diving. So far in this position in case of Goldeneye the black and white markings created by the narrow black scapular lines on the white side are very visible.   (http://www.dereilanatureinn.ca/lounge/ducks2/index.htm).
Therefore the only one species remained is the Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola). We can remark the pink legs, black back and white underbody, characteristically for the adult male.

The following people (listed by submission date beginning with the earliest) submitted correct answers for the 5th Round of Mystery Bird Quiz – Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola):

• Ádám Faragó, Hungary
• Hannu Huhtinen, Finland
• Rami Lindroos, Finland
• Andrew Holden, United Kingdom
• Carlos Gutiérrez, Spain
• William Velmala, Finland
• Markus Lampinen, Finland

The following list shows the number of submissions for each species guessed:

• Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola): 7
• Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula): 3
• Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica): 4
• Red-footed Booby (Sula sula): 1
• Razorbill (Alca torda): 1
• Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis): 1

Photo: Marcus G. Martin, New Mexico, January 2009
Please visit: www.usefulbias.com and www.photobirder.com

Photo: Marcus G. Martin, New Mexico, January 2009
Please visit: www.usefulbias.com and www.photobirder.com

Solution for the round IV.

Photo: Moldovan István, Egypt, 2008

We can easily remark that the picture of the 4th round illustrate a black and white colored male wheatear (Oenanthe sp.) which can help us to eliminate all the other species with different color. Pursuant to this, we will limit only on these bicolor species.
Pied Wheatear (Oenanthe pleschanka) and Cyprus Wheatear (O. cypriaca) have white hat (often with dirty gray crown and not immaculate white) which extends on the nape more than in case of the bird on the picture. These also have much shorter bill and black color on the tip of them outer tail feathers.
In Finsch’s Wheatear (O. finschii) the white color of the head and nape fuse with the white lower back and in all the cases the top of the outer tail feathers is black.
Mourning Wheatear (O. lugens) have more black color on the tip of the all tail feathers, short bill and relative strikingly rusty-buff undertail feathers in nominate ‘lugens’ (white on Maghreb Wheatear ‘O. l. halophila’).
Arabian Wheatear (O. lugentoides) isn’t a Western Palearctic species but it was one of the solutions given, for which we will discuss here. The species have mostly black tail, short wing, powerful bill and shows rusty feathers on the hind part of the flanks and undertail coverts.
Hume’s Wheatear (O. alboniger) can be easily excluded primarily because all black head without white hat.
Variable Wheatear (O. picata) have finer bill; males can have very various plumage color, nevertheless in most forms do not have white hat, but may have dark on the lower body. Other forms (with white cap) can be excluded primarily due to the presence of black color on the top of the outer tail feathers.
White-crowned Wheatear (O. leucopyga) is similar with the bird in our picture, but adult males have black sides, abdomen and belly, with white only on vent, backward the legs. This species also have finer and shorter bill, slightly shorter tail and white hat does not start in the right eye but slightly above.
Black Wheatear (O. leucura) resembles the previous species, but with black head without white crown. Also have more black on the top of all the tail feathers.
On the photo is clearly visible the lack of black terminal band on tail, the white underbody, the long bill and the relatively short legs. Also note the whitish top of the tertials and the tinge of the beige-buffy color on the tail. Therefore the only remains species is the Hooded Wheatear (Oenanthe monacha); 2nd cy male bird on the photo with almost adult-like plumage.

The following people (listed by submission date beginning with the earliest) submitted correct answers for the 4th Round of Mystery Bird Quiz – Oenanthe monacha:

• Erik Sanders, Netherland
• Razvan Zinica, Romania
• Dezső Péter, Hungary
• Ádám Faragó, Hungary
• Andrew Holden, United Kingdom
• Hannu Huhtinen, Finland
• Rami Lindroos, Finland
• Carlos Gutiérrez, Spain
• Lucian Bolboacă, Romania
• William Velmala, Finland
• Markus Lampinen, Finland
• Baczó Zoltán, Romania
• Osvath Gergely, Romania
• Michel Rogg, Switzerland
• Fülöp Attila, Romania
• Hadarics Tibor, Hungary

The following list shows the number of submissions for each species guessed:

• Hooded Wheatear (Oenanthe monacha): 16
• Mourning Wheatear (Oenanthe lugens): 2
• Arabian Wheatear (Oenanthe lugentoides): 1
• White-crowned Wheatear (Oenanthe leucopyga): 1

Please visit the following webpage: www.birdinginegypt.com

Solution for round III.

Photo: Christian Artuso, Manitoba, Canada, 2006
Please visit the following webpages: http://artusophotos.com and http://artusobirds.blogspot.com

If we consult the picture, we can easily remark that the bird on the photo belongs to the Turdidae family.
After the orange colour of the underbody we can eliminate many species.
Eyebrowed Thrush (Turdus obscurus) may have a similar colour but with white supercilium and white stripes under the eye and at the base of the lower mandible, in contrast with the dark lore. The chin and the throat are greyish-white in female or grey in male, with no orange colour and also without grey breastband.
Female American Robin (T. migratorius) has no obvious supercilium behind the eye. Legs are dark, breast and belly orange without grey breastband.
Naumann’s Thrush (T. n. naumanni) has long whitish or orange eyebrow starting from the base of the upper mandible unlike the bird on the picture, of which supercilium begins just above the eye. Reddish-orange feathers on the breast and flanks in Naumann’s Thrush have a scaly appearance, show no uniformly orange colour as in bird on our picture. The species does not have grey breastband nor does it have an obvious yellow-orange wingband on the coverts.
All other species of thrushes have a different colour than the bird in the picture.
Therefore, the only species from the Western Palearctic with such colouring is the Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) or Zoothera naevia. The female bird on the picture showing several visible characters helping us identify the species, like the orange underbody with pronounced grey band on the breast, bold orange supercilium and buffy-orange band on the median coverts.

The following people (listed by submission date beginning with the earliest) submitted correct answers for the 3rd Round of Mystery Bird Quiz – Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius):
William Velmala, Finland
Lucian Bolboacă, Romania
Faragó Ádám, Hungary
Carlos Gutiérrez, Spain
Osváth Gergely, Romania
Hadarics Tibor, Hungary
Andrew Holden, United Kingdom
Erik Sanders, Netherland
Hannu Huhtinen, Finland
Rami Lindroos, Finland
Markus Lampinen, Finland
The following list shows the number of submissions for each species guessed:
Naumann’s Thrush (Turdus naumanni): 4
Eyebrowed Thrush (Turdus obscurus): 3
American Robin (Turdus migratorius): 1

Solution for round II.

Photo: Todor Todorov, Spain, September 2006
Please visit the webpage: http://cocn.tarifainfo.com/blogs/blog5.php

Although the photograph was taken in late afternoon light conditions, we can remark that the bird in the picture has a predominantly pale blue-gray colour with black on the wing tip and the shoulder area.
We can also detect the relatively pointed wing tip and short tail. These characters help us much in the elimination of many species.
From the Western Palearctic Procellariidae with a bit similar colour we can find only Fea’s Petrel (Pterodroma feae) and the Zino’s Petrel (P. madeira). However these species have much narrower wings as the bird on our image, with different pattern on both upper and lower wing. Observed from below, they have white belly, contrasting with the darker colour of the head.
Adult Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) in winter plumage doesn’t have distinct black wing tip contrasting with the rest of the wing, has a black cap and a darker patch on the sides of the neck.
After the general aspect of this bird we can practically restrict to birds of prey.
Male harriers (Circus sp.) can be excluded by their long tail, white rump, longer wings and different wing formula. At the same time none of the harriers show an extended black shoulder area.
Levant Sparrowhawk (Accipiter brevipes) and Shikra (A. badius) have long tails with darker barring on the outer tail feathers, more rounded wing tip with much reduced black colour and uniform coloured upperparts.
Sooty Falcon (Falco concolor) shows dark hands contrasting with the grey upperparts only from above, with no any contrast on the underwing. Sooty’s tail is longer and shoulders do not have distinct black colour.
The male Merlin (Falco columbarius) can be eliminated primarily due to wide black terminal band on the tail tip.
A small size Western Palearctic raptor with predominantly blue-gray plumage and black wing tip and shoulders can only be a Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus).

The following people (listed by submission date beginning with the earliest) submitted correct answers for the 2nd Round of Mystery Bird Quiz – Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus):

Faragó Ádám, Hungary
Răzvan Zinică, Romania
Vlad Cioflec, Romania
Baczó Zoltán, Romania
Michel Rogg, Switzerland
William Velmala, Finland
Dezső Péter, Hungary
Lucian Bolboacă, Romania
Carlos Gutiérrez, Spain
Andrew Holden, United Kingdom
Hannu Huhtinen, Finland
Kókay Bence, Hungary
Rami Lindroos, Finland
Liviu Pârâu, Romania
Erik Sanders, Netherlands
Hadarics Tibor, Hungary
Markus Lampinen, Finland
Fülöp Attila, Romania
Vincze Orsolya, Romania

The following list shows the number of submissions for each species guessed:

Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus): 19
Montagu’s Harrier (Circus pygargus): 2
Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus): 1

Solution for round I.

If analyzing the photo, one can remark that the species on this image is a large size bird with long wings and predominantly white plumage.

These characters can help us in a correct identification, restricting the possibility only on a few species.

Adults of gannets and boobies (Sula sp., Morus sp.) have black and white colour and can be excluded due to their black remiges. Immatures in 3rd and 4th calendar years have black remiges as well and at the same time show (at least partly) dark secondaries. At the same time this group has long, angular and pointed wing tips and tail.

Pelicans can be excluded by general wing colour, shape and formula.

One can eliminate all the Western Palearctic albatrosses (as the Diomedea exulans) by their very long and slender wings, with the same colour pattern as in immature gannets or boobies.

Little and Great White Egrets (Egretta garzetta and E. alba) have broader wing tips with rounded formula, and unlike the bird on our image they have an immaculate white plumage and long, pronounced feet which considerably pass the tails tip. Egrets have no black band on the trailing edge of their wings. Immature light morph Western Reef Heron (Egretta gularis) and Little Blue Heron (Hydranassa [Egretta] caerulea) can show mottled dark grey or blackish portions on the back and upper wing and also small dark tips on the outer primaries, but with no obvious continuous black trailing edge.

In flight storks (Ciconiidae) have black remiges and long, projected red legs.

Juvenile spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia and P. alba) have mostly white body feathers with black or dusky colour only on the tip of the primaries. The secondaries are largely white, but sometimes with hint of black on their tips without so much as to frame a continuous band on the trailing edge. At the same time, the feet extend far behind the tail in flight.

The only gull species showing a somewhat similar colour combination is the Ivory Gull (Pagophila eburnea) in juvenile and 1st winter plumage. However, Ivory Gull is fairly small and stocky, with pointed wings and short, sturdy legs, showing only small dark black spots on tips of the flight feathers and also on greater coverts and scapulars. Small black spots are present on tips of all tail feathers which are completely missing from the tail of the bird on our image.

If having consulted the picture heartily in details, one can easily detect the relatively broad, continuous black wingband on the trailing edge, extended on primaries, secondaries and also tertials.

On the picture also the black feet of the bird can be observed behind the tail. Actually one can remark only the chunky fingers but not the tarsus.

Once here, one can quickly rule out all these possible species.

The only one species remaining is the Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) which has been introduced in France, where now has a self-sustaining wild population.

The following people (listed by submission date beginning with the earliest) submitted correct answers for the 1^st Round of Mystery Bird Quiz – Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus):

• Răzvan Zinică, Romania
• Faragó Ádám, Hungary
• Frederic Jiguet, France
• Jose Antonio Salazar Rabasa, Spain
• Carlos Gutiérrez Expósito, Spain
• William Velmala, Finland
• Ariele Magnani, Italy
• Rob Felix, Netherland
• Balla Dániel, Hungary
• Hannu Huhtinen, Finland
• Rami Lindroos, Finland
• Hadarics Tibor, Hungary
• Markus Lampinen, Finland
• Andrew Holden, United Kingdom
• Baczó Zoltán, Romania

The following list shows the number of submissions for each species guessed:

Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus): 15

• Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia): 8
• Little Egret (Egretta garzetta): 2
• Ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea): 2
• Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus): 1
• Western Reef Heron (Egretta gularis): 1
• Slender-billed Gull (Larus genei): 1
• Pallas’s gull (Larus ichthyaetus): 1
• Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus): 1
• Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus): 1

Photo: Miholcsa Tamás, France – August 2009