Which bird is this?

vinathorat-ji. You had been pretty good in identifying lots of birds which is very impressive. You are little confused about the correct ID of this bird, which is the reason you have posted it here. Let us see how we go about identifying this. ..

First, one look at the bird we know it is very plain and drab looking. So, it has to be a female. Next guess is it looks so much like a house sparrow female. Sparrows belong to finch family and have stronger thick bills to crack open seeds. Our bird in question has a smaller thin bill. So, it is not a finch or a sparrow.

The beak is typical for flycatchers, bushchats and stonechats. The bill is generally shorter for catching insects and flies. Flycatchers are slightly larger than bushchats or stonechats. Bush- and stonechats are usually smaller, dumpier and short-tailed with thin legs. Our bird is very small, so it has to be either a bushchat or a stonechat.

In Pune, the most commonly found are Pied Bushchat and Common Stonechat. Examining these two species' females one could easily guess it is a Common Stonechat female. Click on the below OBI database photo please.
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Thanks Vinaji!

Rwe, that deduction looked as simple as 'Elementary, Dr. Watson'!

Thanks but Abracax has already identified as a Reef Egret.

This Sunbird was gathering material for his nest yesterday. Seen in my balcony in Mumbai




This is a Sunbird's nest in a Polyalthia tree in Mumbai. Photo from a couple of years ago:

Wonderful, Snonymous

I've never seen a sunbird's nest. At least now I know what to look for.

Brilliant pics!

RWe, So nice of you for the impressive e-lesson on bird ID programme .

Kindly guide for the other one
"Is it Little Stint or Temminck's Stint?

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Little Stint.
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Your photo below.
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thanks

What is going on?

I could have sworn that this thread was started by Mridula, but now it shows as being initiated by someone called "NOODLE" ???

I guess the mods have merged another thread (an older one) along with the thread started by Mridula. Her first post has now become the 14th post.

Hey who is noodle??? Where is the Himalayan red billed magpie that started this thread and what happened to Mridula??

has there been a sort of merger of two threads??

Mods pl respond if you can. thanks

RWE that pic looks just like my earlier post of the famous "blurry" sandpiper. ha! that was stint too. as i recall. NICK-H you are so right . i had no clue what to look for with the sunbirds nest. assumed it looked like any other's.

I believe Salim Ali described the sunbirds nest as being a mess of assorted rubbish!

eagle