|
Common & Brush Bronzewings are sometimes confused. The Common Bronzewing is more often seen than the Brush Bronzewing, but identification is not helped by the two species sharing similar habitat and having overlapping ranges in south east Australia. Both species feed on the ground.
The following table compares some of the basic identification features.
|
Common Bronzewing |
Brush Bronzewing |
Length |
28 to 36 cm |
25 to 33 cm |
Sexes |
Differ as below |
Differ as below |
Upperparts
|
Male: Forehead yellow/buff; fine white curved stripe above the eye with broader white stripe below the eye extending to and curving around the ear coverts; white chin; dark brown rear crown and nape; back olive brown, scalloped buff; upperwing dark brown with varying green, yellow, bronze or purple iridescent spots visible in good light with conspicuous buff or blue/grey barring and fringing
Female: Similar to male but generally duller; forehead blue/grey; less iridescence on upperwing |
Male: Forehead rufous brown to light brown; dark maroon eye stripe from eye to nape; buff cheek stripe from bill, passing under eye, extending to nape; pale chin; maroon patch on upper throat; rich brown mantle, back and shoulders; iridesence on upperwing confined to two distinct curved blue/green bands, sometimes with the suggestion of a shorter third row
Female: Similar to male but generally paler; duller forehead; paler patch on throat; |
Underparts |
Male: Breast and flanks, pink/brown; remainder blue/grey
Female: Breast duller; belly grey |
Male: Mainly blue/grey with red/brown extending from mantle onto sides of breast
Female: Generally paler |
In flight |
Underwing rufous brown with dark brown trailing edge
|
Underwing rufous brown with dark brown leading and trailing edges |
| Bill |
Blackish brown |
Blackish brown |
Eye |
Iris dark brown; orbital ring brown |
Iris dark brown, orbital ring blue/grey to grey |
| Legs |
Dull pink to red |
Red; female light red to pink |
Juveniles |
Male: Similar to adult male but overall duller and plainer with little or no iridescence in upperwing
Female: Similar to juvenile male but with grey forehead |
Male: Similar to adult male but overall duller and darker; dark crown; grey face with faint rufous on throat; little or no iridescence in upperwing
Female: Similar to juvenile male but with more olive rather than rufous forehead |
| Call |
Deep resonant repetitive 'oom' call, downslurred |
Similar but slightly higher pitched, shorter notes and slightly more rapid |
Behaviour |
Both species similar; feed on ground by walking and pecking; flush with a loud clutter of wings flying rapidly out of sight. Common Bronzewing may land in nearby tree, perch stiffly, bob and crane neck. Brush Bronzewing may land in nearby tree and freeze, or drop quickly to the ground and run. |
The main diagnostic features in the field to differentiate between the two species are the general overall darker appearance of the Brush Bronzewing, the upperwing iridescence confined to two distinctive bars for the Brush Bronzewing compared with the more scalloped/scaly appearance of the Common Bronzewing, and the distinctive head and throat markings of each species.
Prepared by Bill Ramsay based on an article by Fred T H Smith,
published in The Bird Observer, October 1989.
Common Bronzewing - Photograph by Damian Kelly |
Brush Bronzewing - Photograph by Bill Ramsay |
|
