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Topic Categories: Birding • Education • Mystery Birds • Teaching • Travel
Posted on: January 24, 2010 9:59 AM, by "GrrlScientist"
tags: Hadada Ibis, Bostrychia hagedash, Hagedashia hagedash, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Hadada Ibis, Bostrychia (Hagedashia) hagedash, photographed at Arusha National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen [larger view].
Nikon D2X and Nikon 200-400 VR lens at 240 mm. ISO 200 f/9 1/125.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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Comments
This appears to be one of the six species of Threskiornithidae found in Tanzania, or rather I should say two of them!
The hint of a red stripe on the upper mandible characteristic of the species, but perhaps it's call, haa-haa-haa-de-dah is more of a give-away!
Posted by: David Hilmy | January 24, 2010 11:07 AM
I think maybe an Olive Ibis (Bostrychia olivacea). The hint of green on the wings, black legs and red upper mandible seems right...
Posted by: zoo713 | January 24, 2010 11:31 AM
Hey zoo713, a good guess I think but beware being misled by descriptions and photos of what is really the Dwarf Olive Ibis or São Tomé Ibis, Bostrychia bocagei, which is differentiated from the species you suggest because it does have a red culmen whereas the larger Olive does not... the two species were once considered the same, B. olivacea, but are now considered separate- prior information on it tends to favor the now described Dwarf... look to the call as a clue.
Posted by: David Hilmy | January 24, 2010 12:12 PM
I see you are thinking along the lines of "Crex crex" or "Kittiwake" David.
Posted by: Adrian | January 24, 2010 12:28 PM
Definitely a Hadeda, although I wouldn't know which exact species.
Distinguishing features include the iridescent green feathers on the wings and the lighter colour stripe on its cheek.
As David Hilmy says, they're very easily identified by their call, which still makes me jump when flocks of them fly over my house.
Posted by: PaulM | January 24, 2010 12:29 PM
Well the species is certainly Bostrychia hagedash, although it is sometimes placed in a monospecific genus Hagedashia, but as to which of the three subspecies it may be is uncertain as all three are distributed from north of our photo's location (as far north as the Sudan and Ethiopia through Kenya) down to the Zambezi Valley southwest of Tanzania...
an interesting study on it's plumage shows that unlike most birds, , and also unusual is that the melanin granules seem not to contribute to irridescence as in other birds...
can't tell from the photo if this is a male/female pair as females are almost identical but perhaps smaller with slightly shorter bills, as would be juveniles...
Posted by: David Hilmy | January 24, 2010 12:51 PM
major html fail! sorry!
that should have been:
an interesting study on it's plumage shows that unlike most birds, the irridescence covers an unusually broad spectrum from ultraviolet to near infrared, and also unusual is that the melanin granules seem not to contribute to irridescence as in other birds...
Posted by: David Hilmy | January 24, 2010 12:57 PM