tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18783751.post7397599532750881145..comments2023-11-12T21:16:10.098+11:00Comments on Birds in Tasmania: Tasmanian & Brown ThornbillsBirdingTashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341646998037894004noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18783751.post-7399208464613523202008-05-18T07:50:00.000+10:002008-05-18T07:50:00.000+10:00Hi Murray, Yes, the dreaded Tas v Brown again! I ...Hi Murray,<BR/> Yes, the dreaded Tas v Brown again! I still recall my early attempts to tell them apart, and I have to own up to fudging them all too often, based on habitat! Not actually a bad ploy. The calls are quite different as you mention, but they don't always oblige by singing. I think the most obvious distinguisher, is the wit, wit, wit, part of the call (as mentioned ny John) by the Tasmanian, which has a more strident and melodious call than the Brown. I think, perhaps, what bugs me, is people (make that visitors!), all too often are 'ticking' the 'Tasmanian' off, without actually seeing one, often in habitat not usually associated with them, and in so doing, encourage others to do the same thing, however unwittingly. There's not really much excuse, as in the right habitat, Tasmanian Thornbills are common enough.BirdingTashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08341646998037894004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18783751.post-13626943864225282002008-05-17T21:37:00.000+10:002008-05-17T21:37:00.000+10:00A topic I know we have corresponded on before! I ...A topic I know we have corresponded on before! I have a number of recordings of Brown and Tasmanian Thornbills that Dave Stewart kindly provided to me and I have been trying to find the time to sit down and play round with them on the computer. The calls are quite different - the challenge is to describe how they are different. As far as plumages are concerned, I think the field guides don't adequately highlight that Tasmanians when perched show quite a rufous panel in the primaries, which Brown does not, as shown in your photos. Recently when writing an article on Colonel Legge I discovered that the description in the Pizzey Field Guide of the Tasmanian's call is actually a misquote of an article Legge wrote in the 1880s - the words used were actually his description of a Brown Thornbill call.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18783751.post-33712817925133278132008-05-17T07:20:00.000+10:002008-05-17T07:20:00.000+10:00Hi John, Thanks for commenting. I wrote the pie...Hi John,<BR/> Thanks for commenting. I wrote the piece mainly to caution observers to be more vigilant in distinguishing these 2 birds. Habitat is a strong first stage guide, which field guides don't seem to highlight. I've never found tail length useful, and my banding data indicates that there is considerable overlap, so beware. I didn't go into the area of juvenile birds either, but at the time they're about, habitat would be a good indicator. Both species are great vocal mimics, mainly in their sub song, and I too, have never found that I'm sufficiently confident to separate them on call.BirdingTashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08341646998037894004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18783751.post-41389132904464812562008-05-16T21:49:00.000+10:002008-05-16T21:49:00.000+10:00Hi Alan,Nice comparison shots! We generally find ...Hi Alan,<BR/>Nice comparison shots! We generally find the 'white fluffy underpants' one of the easiest features to pick up in the Tas. Thornbills, as you note. Another is the comparatively longer tail. The proportions of the colour bands in the tail are also different, but usually pretty hard to distinguish positively, without the two different species together for comparison (which they almost never are!) I've also heard others say the Tas. Thornbills tend to end their song phrases with a "Wit, wit,wit", but I find the song of both of them so variable, that this is not really a satisfactory identifier. The bill lengths are clear in your shots, but they usually bounce around so actively, I find that hard to pick out with certainty. Mostly, we go on habitat likelihood, then 'underpants' and tail length. Both Thornbills are great little birds!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com