Identification, sexing and ageing

Guides to Birds in the hand – pdfs or links to Identification, ageing and sexing – southern African species or groups of species

Some of these are listed in “Identification, ageing and sexing guides published in Safring News, 1972-1993.” (pdf)

Links to foreign birds in hand (may include SA migrants) – see below.

Penguins	African Penguin – sexing
Egrets	Egrets – identification of chicks/juvs
Ducks	Ducks – cloacal sexing	Yellow-billed Duck
Flamingos	Flamingos – identification of chicks	Greater Flamingo
Raptors	Black-shouldered Kites – potential sexing Black-shouldered Kites – pelvic separation
Coots	Coots – failure to sex
Gulls	Kelp Gull – ageing Kelp Gull sexing – use head & bill depth (Ostrich 2021)
Gamebirds	Cape Spurfowl – age, sex (web)	Cape Spurfowl
Waders	Ringed Plover – ageing Kittlitz Plover – ageing Kittlitz Plover – ageing – addendum on weights Crowned Lapwing – ageing using moult Blacksmith Lapwing – sexing Waders 1 – ageing using moult Waders 2 – ageing using moult Curlew Sandpiper – ageing Little Stint – ageing, sexing Ruff – ageing, sexing	Kittlitz’s Plover
Terns	Common Terns – ageing
Doves	Laughing Doves – ageing
Nightjars	Nightjars – identification
Honeyguides	Lesser Honeyguides – moult & biometrics [wing: ♂ >91.7, ♀<91.7mm] Greater Honeyguide – age & sex – web	Greater Honeyguide
Passerines	Passerines – number of visible primaries Passerines – potential ageing & sexing problems Passerines – reply to potential ageing & sexing problems
Swallows	Barn Swallow – subspecies Tail spots – Ostrich 2011, 82(2): 129–133 SA Cliff Swallow – ageing [juvs duller], sexing [biometrics overlap, can use brood patch]	Barn Swallow
Bulbuls	Cape Bulbuls – ageing, sexing (this paper shows a bimodal histogram for wing length, but the biometrics were collected during the end of primary moult; my own data, excluding moulting birds, does not show a clear bimodal pattern – see figure right)	Cape Bulbul wing (HDO)
Thrushes, robins & Chats	Thrushes – ageing, sexing Tractrac Chat – Bryson 2023 (pdf at Monograph button) Mountain Wheatear – Bryson 2023 (pdf at Monograph button) Ant-eating Chat – ageing, sexing Starred Robin – ageing [add wing + tail: ♂ 148-165, ♀ 134-147 mm for adults; Ostrich paper]
Warblers	Warbler id guide – by JMH Raijmakers and JHFA Raijmakers (545 kb) Warbler id guide – updated with colour photos but large pdf (1 756 kb) Warblers and weavers in Cape Town – id guide
Shrikes	Southern Fiscal – Bryson 2021 (pdf at Monograph button) Red-backed Shrike – Bryson 2023 (pdf at Monograph button) White-crowned Shrike – Bryson 2022 (pdf at Monograph button) Lesser Grey Shrike – Bryson 2024 (pdf at Monograph button)
Sugarbirds & sunbirds	Cape Sugarbird – ageing, sexing Gurney’s Sugarbird – ageing, sexing Sunbirds – identification, ageing, sexing Miombo Double-collared Sunbird – ageing, sexing Greater Double-collared Sunbird – ageing, sexing	Cape Sugarbird female
Weavers	Weavers – identification links
Waxbills and finches	Waxbills – ageing Common Waxbill – ageing, sexing Waxbills – failure of otoscope for sexing Red-headed Finch – ageing, sexing Bronze Mannikin – ageing Pin-tailed Whydah – identification, ageing and sexing	Swee Waxbill male
Canaries	Forest Canary – ageing, sexing	Forest Canary
General	Identification – links to birds in the field