Gallery

Gallery is regularly updated, and recent updates can be found in the gallery changelog. Last update was on 14^th May 2021.

NEW For more information about the age codes used in the callery, please visit Age codes. NEW

Purpose of this gallery is to help bird ringers in sexing and aging birds they might encounter during their bird ringing research. Also, one of the aims is to show the great variability wild birds show. Not only the interspecific variability in colour and shapes but also the intraspecific variability, the slight differences in plumage between each individual and the variability in moult the birds show.

I hope photos in this gallery could be used as a complementary aid when reading about some aging or sexing techniques in bird ringing books as photos might be sometimes more illustrative as plain text or black and white drawings.

Here you can find list of birds sorted in their respective families (in taxonomical order) which are currently photographed. Number of available individuals for each species is given in parentheses.

Taxonomy follows IOC v11.1 .

Galliformes

Phasianidae – turkeys, grouse, pheasants & partridges

Coturnix coturnix – Common Quail (3)

Columbiformes

Columbidae – doves & pigeons

Streptopelia decaocto – Eurasian Collared-dove (4)
Streptopelia turtur – European Turtle-dove (1)
Turtur afer – Blue-spotted Wood-dove (3)

Cuculiformes

Cuculidae – cuckoos

Cuculus canorus – Common Cuckoo (2)

Caprimulgiformes

Caprimulgidae – nightjars & nighthawks

Caprimulgus europaeus – European Nightjar (2)

Gruiformes

Rallidae – rails, gallinules & coots

Crex crex – Corn Crake (2)
Rallus aquaticus – Water Rail (1)

Podicipediformes

Podicipedidae – grebes

Tachybaptus ruficollis – Little Grebe (1)

Charadriiformes

Charadriidae – plovers & dotterels

Charadrius dubius – Little Ringed Plover (4)

Scolopacidae – sandpipers & snipes

Actitis hypoleucos – Common Sandpiper (2)
Calidris pugnax – Ruff (5)
Gallinago gallinago – Common Snipe (7)
Scolopax rusticola – Eurasian Woodcock (7)
Tringa glareola – Wood Sandpiper (9)
Tringa nebularia – Common Greenshank (2)
Tringa ochropus – Green Sandpiper (1)

Laridae – gulls, terns & skimmers

Chroicocephalus ridibundus – Black-headed Gull (1)

Coliiformes

Coliidae – mousebirds

Colius striatus – Speckled Mousebird (1)

Accipitriformes

Accipitridae – kites, hawks & eagles

Accipiter gentilis – Northern Goshawk (1)
Accipiter nisus – Eurasian Sparrowhawk (1)
Buteo buteo – Common Buzzard (10)
Circus aeruginosus – Western Marsh Harrier (1)
Circus cyaneus – Hen Harrier (1)

Strigiformes

Strigidae – owls

Asio otus – Long-eared Owl (2)
Asio flammeus – Short-eared Owl (1)
Aegolius funereus – Tengmalm’s Owl (known as Boreal Owl in North America; 5)

Coraciiformes

Meropidae – bee-eaters

Merops apiaster – European Bee-eater (78) Ageing & sexing article

Alcedinidae – kingfishers

Alcedo atthis – Common Kingfisher (2)
Corythornis cristatus – Malachite Kingfisher (1)
Corythornis leucogaster – White-bellied Kingfisher (1)
Halcyon senegalensis – Woodland Kingfisher (1)
Ispidina lecontei – African Dwarf-kingfisher (2)
Ispidina picta – African Pygmy-kingfisher (9)

Piciformes

Lybiidae – African barbets

Pogoniulus atroflavus – Red-rumped Tinkerbird (2)
Trachyphonus purpuratus – Yellow-billed Barbet (1)

Indicatoridae – honeyguides

Indicator maculatus – Spotted Honeyguide (1)

Picidae – woodpeckers, piculets & wrynecks

Pardipicus nivosus – Buff-spotted Woodpecker (4)
Dendrocopos major – Great Spotted Woodpecker (27)
Dendrocopos syriacus – Syrian Woodpecker (4)
Dendrocoptes medius – Middle Spotted Woodpecker (4)
Dryobates minor – Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (4)
Dryocopus martius – Black Woodpecker (3)
Jynx torquilla – Eurasian Wryneck (11)
Picus canus – Grey-headed Woodpecker (2)
Picus viridis – European Green Woodpecker (9)
Sasia africana – African Piculet (1)

Falconiformes

Falconidae – falcons & caracaras

Falco tinnunculus – Common Kestrel (7)

Passeriformes

Oscines

Corvida

Oriolidae – orioles & figbirds

Oriolus oriolus – Eurasian Golden Oriole (2)

Malaconotidae – bush-shrikes & puffbacks

Laniarius atroflavus – Yellow-breasted Boubou (7)
Laniarius poensis – Mountain Sooty Boubou (1)

Platysteiridae – wattle-eyes & batises

Platysteira castanea – Chestnut Wattle-eye (1)
Platysteira concreta – Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye (3)
Platysteira cyanea – Brown-throated Wattle-eye (1)

Monarchidae – monarch flycatchers

Terpsiphone rufiventer – Red-bellied Paradise-flycatcher (10)
Terpsiphone rufocinerea – Rufous-vented Paradise-flycatcher (2)
Trochocercus nitens – Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher (3)

Laniidae – shrikes

Lanius collurio – Red-backed Shrike (22)

Corvidae – crows & jays

Corvus cornix – Hooded Crow (1)
Garrulus glandarius – Eurasian Jay (3)

Passerida

Paroidea

Stenostiridae – crested-flycatchers

Elminia albiventris – White-bellied Crested-flycatcher (1)

Remizidae – penduline-tits

Remiz pendulinus – Eurasian Penduline-tit (8)

Sylvioidea

Panuridae – Bearded Reedling

Panurus biarmicus – Bearded Reedling (12)

Alaudidae – larks

Alauda arvensis – Eurasian Skylark (6)
Lullula arborea – Woodlark (10)

Macrosphenidae – African warblers

Macrosphenus flavicans – Yellow Longbill (3)

Acrocephalidae – reed-warblers

Acrocephalus arundinaceus – Great Reed-warbler (13)
Acrocephalus palustris – Marsh Warbler (19)
Acrocephalus scirpaceus – Eurasian Reed Warbler (29)
Acrocephalus schoenobaenus – Sedge Warbler (27)
Hippolais icterina – Icterine Warbler (11)

Locustellidae – grasshopper-warblers

Bradypterus lopezi – Evergreen-forest Warbler (2)
Locustella fluviatilis – River Warbler (11)
Locustella luscinioides – Savi's Warbler (7)
Locustella naevia – Common Grasshopper-warbler (16)

Cisticolidae – cisticolas

Apalis rufogularis – Buff-throated Apalis (1)
Camaroptera brachyura – Green-backed Camaroptera (2)
Camaroptera chloronota – Olive-green Camaroptera (6)
Cisticola chubbi – Chubb's Cisticola (11)
Urolais epichlorus – Green Longtail (1)

Hirundinidae – martins, swallows

Delichon urbicum – Common House Martin (21)
Hirundo rustica – Barn Swallow (11)
Psalidoprocne fuliginosa – Mountain Saw-wing (1)
Riparia riparia – Sand Martin (1)

Pycnonotidae – bulbuls

Arizelocichla tephrolaema – Western Greenbul (34)
Bleda notatus – Yellow-lored Bristlebill (4)
Bleda syndactylus – Red-tailed Bristlebill (4)
Criniger calurus – Red-tailed Greenbul (3)
Criniger chloronotus – Eastern Bearded Greenbul (3)
Eurillas gracilis – Little Grey Greenbul (2)
Eurillas latirostris – Yellow-whiskered Greenbul (14)
Eurillas virens – Little Greenbul (6)
Phyllastrephus icterinus – Icterine Greenbul (6)
Phyllastrephus xavieri – Xavier's Greenbul (3)
Pycnonotus barbatus – Common Bulbul (3)

Hyliidae – hylias

Hylia prasina – Green Hylia (3)

Aegithalidae – long-tailed tits, Bushtit

Aegithalos caudatus – Long-tailed Tit (10)

Phylloscopidae – leaf-warblers

Phylloscopus collybita – Common Chiffchaff (42)
Phylloscopus sibilatrix – Wood Warbler (5)
Phylloscopus trochilus – Willow Warbler (28)
Phylloscopus schwarzi – Radde’s Warbler (1)
Phylloscopus inornatus – Yellow-browed Warbler (1)
Phylloscopus sp. – possible hybrid P. collybita × ibericus (1)

Sylviidae – Sylvia warblers

Sylvia abyssinica – African Hill Babbler (10)
Sylvia atricapilla – Eurasian Blackcap (171)
Sylvia borin – Garden Warbler (24)
Curruca communis – Common Whitethroat (33)
Curruca curruca – Lesser Whitethroat (49)
Curruca nisoria – Barred Warbler (5)

Zosteropidae – White-eyes

Zosterops melanocephalus – Mount Cameroon Speirops (7)
Zosterops senegalensis – Northern Yellow White-eye (1)

Pellorneidae – ground babblers

Illadopsis cleaveri – Blackcap Illadopsis (1)
Illadopsis rufipennis – Pale-breasted Illadopsis (8)

Certhioidea

Sittidae – nuthatches

Sitta europaea – Eurasian Nuthatch (25)

Certhiidae – treecreepers

Certhia familiaris – Eurasian Treecreeper (6)

Troglodytidae – wrens

Troglodytes troglodytes – Eurasian Wren (11)

Reguloidea

Regulidae – kinglets

Regulus ignicapilla – Common Firecrest (13)
Regulus regulus – Goldcrest (18)

Muscicapoidea

Turdidae – thrushes

Neocossyphus poensis – White-tailed Ant-thrush (3)
Turdus iliacus – Redwing (4)
Turdus merula – Common Blackbird (43)
Turdus pelios – African Thrush (40)
Turdus philomelos – Song Thrush (27)
Turdus pilaris – Fieldfare (2)

Muscicapidae – Old World flycatchers & chats

Muscicapinae

Alethe castanea – Fire-crested Alethe (20)
Muscicapa adusta – African Dusky Flycatcher (2)
Muscicapa striata – Spotted Flycatcher (7)

Cossyphinae

Erithacus rubecula – European Robin (95)
Chamaetylas poliocephala – Brown-chested Alethe (23)
Cossypha isabellae – Mountain Robin-Chat (10)
Stiphrornis erythrothorax – Forest-robin (11)

Saxicolinae

Ficedula albicollis – Collared Flycatcher (24)
Ficedula hypoleuca – European Pied Flycatcher (12)
Luscinia luscinia – Thrush Nightingale (5)
Luscinia svecica – Bluethroat (11)
Luscinia megarhynchos – Common Nightingale (14)
Phoenicurus ochruros – Black Redstart (42)
Phoenicurus phoenicurus – Common Redstart (48)
Saxicola rubetra – Whinchat (7)
Saxicola rubicola – European Stonechat (8)
Saxicola torquatus – African Stonechat (7)

Passeroidea

Modulatricidae – Dapplethroat and allies

Kakamega poliothorax – Grey-chested Babbler (1)

Nectariniidae – sunbirds

Anthreptes gabonicus – Mangrove Sunbird (1)
Anthreptes seimundi – Little Green Sunbird (4)
Cinnyris reichenowi – Northern Double-collared Sunbird (43)
Cyanomitra olivacea – Olive Sunbird (37)
Cyanomitra oritis – Cameroon Sunbird (12)
Cyanomitra verticalis – Green-headed Sunbird (2)
Deleornis fraseri – Fraser's Sunbird (2)

Ploceidae – weavers

Euplectes capensis – Yellow Bishop (75)
Ploceus nigricollis – Black-necked Weaver (2)
Ploceus cucullatus – Village Weaver (1)
Ploceus insignis – Brown-capped Weaver (1)
Ploceus melanogaster – Black-billed Weaver (4)

Estrildidae – waxbills & estrildid finches

Lonchurinae

Spermestes bicolor – Black-and-white Mannikin (5)
Spermestes cucullata – Bronze Mannikin (1)

Estrildinae

Cryptospiza reichenovii – Red-faced Crimsonwing (5)
Estrilda nonnula – Black-crowned Waxbill (5)
Mandingoa nitidula – Green Twinspot (1)
Spermophaga haematina – Western Bluebill (8)

Passeridae – Old World sparrows

Passer domesticus – House Sparrow (7)
Passer griseus – Northern Grey-headed Sparrow (14)
Passer montanus – Eurasian Tree Sparrow (28)

Motacillidae – pipits & wagtails

Anthus pratensis – Meadow Pipit (5)
Anthus trivialis – Tree Pipit (16)
Motacilla alba – White Wagtail (118) Ageing & sexing article
Motacilla cinerea – Grey Wagtail (21)
Motacilla flava – Western Yellow Wagtail (32)

Fringillidae – finches & euphonias

Fringillinae

Fringilla coelebs – Common Chaffinch (39)
Fringilla montifringilla – Brambling (25)

Carduelinae

Acanthis flammea – Common Redpoll (3)
Carduelis carduelis – European Goldfinch (43)
Carpodacus erythrinus – Common Rosefinch (9)
Coccothraustes coccothraustes – Hawfinch (52)
Crithagra burtoni – Thick-billed Seedeater (5)
Chloris chloris – European Greenfinch (121)
Linaria cannabina – Common Linnet (7)
Linurgus olivaceus – Oriole Finch (53)
Loxia curvirostra – Red Crossbill (4)
Pyrrhula pyrrhula – Eurasian Bullfinch (6)
Serinus serinus – European Serin (33)
Spinus spinus – Eurasian Siskin (97)