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Hey Maxwell tnx for putting me on the right track..
Black Bellied Whistling Ducks, I have a suspicion they must be escapees.
Tnx agn.

But yes, those are indeed Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and they are most certainly escapees or pinioned birds. It's a non-migratory species from South America and Mexico. Sedentary birds like that are extremely unlikely to be showing up as true vagrants to places like South Africa - and especially Austin Roberts which is known to have a glut of escaped exotics.

I need some help please as I can't ID this bird. I took this photo on the mountain at Marakele National Park in Februarie.

The bird is about the size of a pigeon.

I first thought it to be a "Dassievoël / Mocking Cliff Chat" but the white stripe above the eyes should not be present.

I also thought it might be a "Heuglin se Janfrederik / White-browned Robin-Chat" but the chest should not be black.

So now I have no idea what bird this is...

Hi there Leeukos
The bird in question is a Buff-streaked Chat
Have a great day

Thanks Waterbuck.

That is another one on the list...

Could you please Id the one, saw in Kgalagadi in January





could be a Lark ???
thank you very much

and this one... also a Lark

Hi Anne-Marie

I think the first bird could be a Chat Flycatcher (it is definitely not some type of lark) and the second bird seems to be a Lark-like Bunting (sad name for a bird I think).

Would like to hear what other members think.

hope this was helpful.

Hi ann marie,
Are you convinced the pairs are of the same birds? They look different to me.
Chat Flycatcher is fine for the 2nd of the first two but number 1 does not look right.
Again the second pair . Number one is 'probably' a Lark Like Bunting but the second has a crest and I go for Stark's Lark although it is a touch darker plumaged than normally seen. Right area though.

yes Maxwell, I think so, the 2 series of photos are quasi (almost) in the same second/minute

thanks also for the help Roan

Hi Maxwell,

I disagree about the last pic. The bill of the Stark`s Lark is much heavier than the one in the photograph. Also, the Lark-like Bunting has a much more uniform colouration (as pictured in the photograph) than Stark`s Lark which has a much more prominent colouration difference between the back nad front. Stark`s Lark also has much more streaking on the breast than the bird in the picture.

First two pics: Chat Flycatcher
Last two pics: Lark-like Bunting

Stark's Lark is a very different bird; White underparts, more elongated head, much heavier bill, strong scalloping on nape, streaking on head, more horizontal posture.

thank you very much...

Can anyone help me identify this bird? I saw a couple of them in the swimming pool area at Shingwedzi in January 2011. It is the size of a starling.

http://s1153.photobucket.com/albums/p51 ... G_5207.jpg

I'd say it is some kind of juvenile starling... at this point I'll leave it to the experts to ID the species