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Yes I agree about the mandible colour being pink more often for buffy and yellow for plain-backed more often, but light can play tricks on you sometimes with regard to mandible colour, for example if you look at bird 4 the mandible looks yellow/orange in the first pic, but more pinkish in the next two pics.

And yes you do get the more slate grey form of Plain-backed which is the A. l. leucophrys race mainly found in Western Cape. The birds found more North are mainly the A. l. enunciator race which are a warmer, more cinnamon brown, like this bird. As far as I know these races aren't actually strictly recognized anymore, but they definitely have different colour variations.



haha I hope not, especially since my main point of reference here was Faansie's book 'Pipits of Southern Africa"

Now that's putting the pipit among the Peacocks

Good evening pipit people ( ),

While sorting my pictures I found 2 more pipits in that same day, compared with the previous birds and your comments, I make Buffy of the first bird. The second I was thinking of Buffy as well, but then I noticed the (seemingly) shorter bill, could this be a Long tailed maybe? (with colder grey-brown upperparts then Buffy)

What do you think?

*Just added Bird 9, Buffy as well?*

Bird 7






Bird 8




Added bird 9, Buffy as well?

I'd go for :

7. Buffy... shows characteristic slim build with chest pushed out and flat forecrown of a buffy pipit with pink lower mandible
8. plain backed... upperparts more grey, and a belly heavy shape/posture
9. probably buffy .. slim build upright posture, flat forecrown

And I'm fully open to correction on any of them

Thank you again Adrianp!

I think you're right about the plain backed instead of long tailed.
The other 2 buffy is my thoughts as well, lets see what the others think of them

Maurice

I tend to agree with adrianp on all of the above

Thank you MattAxel,

For me that means 3 more pipits identified

How often do the other pipit guru's (Faasie Peakock/Lizette) come to this forum? Or have they been here already and do they agree ?

For now, the above birds are going into the folders you both mentioned

I still hope Faasie Peakock and Lizette are willing to give their opinion on the previous pipits, but in the mean time, I have some more LBJ's

Thank you for your help sorting these out!

I start with some Cisticola's, first 2 are seen at Kimberley area last month.

Bird 1 (my thought is wailing cisticola)






Bird 2 (real bad pictures, but my thought is Neddicky / Piping cisticola)





The next birds are taken in Hartswater area last month

Bird 3 (my thought is Neddicky / Piping cisticola again)








Bird 4 (my thought is Neddicky / Piping cisticola again)





Bird 5





Then there is this lark I'm not sure of, seen in Mokala NP

Bird 6 (My thought is Sabota Lark)







And of course 2 more pipits

Bird 7 (my thought is African pipit)






Bird 8

Is this Little Black Job a Moutain Wheater (Mountain Chat)? Found in Karoo National Park

I think it is , it's a male! (Oenanthe monticola)

Maurice,
I only get the occasional opportunity to visit the forum these days, but to get back to your pipits...

Bird 1 only based on pic 3 where you can see the white outer tail I would go for African Pipit.
Bird 2 unfortunately I can't see enough features, but probably also African..
Bird 3 based on the plain back and uniform colour on back and front I would go for Buffy Pipit.
Bird 4,5 & 6 probably the same species and I think it is an African.
Bird 7 Buffy based on plain back and not enough contrast between back and front colours
Bird 8 not enough features clear to make an ID but probably also Buffy based on the plain back.
Bird 9 Probably Buffy, but the front is not visible and can't make out the bill base

Hope it helps a bit...
Cheers
Lizet

I recently spotted this bird in Okaukuejo camp in Etosha. I thought it would be an easy ID for sure. But I just don't find any bird matching it in my birdbook!?!? So either I'm not looking well enough in my book, or it's one of those birds with variations or something! Please help me out of my frustration. Unfortunately I took the pics in the early morning before sunrise - so not the best light. They were in the camp and eating some of the insects that were lying underneath the streetlamps in the morning. Looks a lot like a thrush... It's about that size as well.

Wattled Starling female

Definitely!

Wattled Starling! Now if only there were some males around - it would have been MUCH easier! Thanks guys! I should attend Duckling school more often...