Southern masked-weaver

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Southern masked-weaver
Photo Information
Copyright: Annick Vanderschelden (vanderschelden) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2569 W: 71 N: 6217] (24753)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-10-23
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III, Canon 400mm 2.8 IS
Photo Version: Original Version
Travelogue: Kruger National Park
Theme(s): Yellow Birds, Birds of South Africa 3 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-04-28 9:03
Viewed: 518
Points: 34
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The identification of this bird is a toughie and stuff for a scientific mind. Did I work hard enough in my science and math classes in high school to become a scientist? The answer is “no”.
On the other hand since my Treknature membership I visited zoos and wildlife parks as often as I could and of course there’s “you”!

To start my identifying process I verified my Kruger National park map . More specific the one with the birds of the Kruger National Park grouped in their families.

Pff…a lot of options. Similar sized and yellow coloured are the Golden orioles. The former have an orange beak though. Cancel!
Next there’s the Yellow-fronted canary. Here the blacks are rather greyish. Cancel.! Conclusion: It must be a Weaver.
Then again you have four options.
Can’t be the Spectacled weaver due to wing colors. Cancel!
The Lesser masked–weaver is excluded as there are too much ‘blacks’. Cancel!
The Village weaver also called the Spottedbacked weaver has no soft orange colors. Cancel!
Conclusion: this is probably a Southern masked-weaver also called African Masked-weaver (Ploceus velatus).
Moreover a male in breeding colors.

I verified it. I remembered a very accurate in depth critique from Steve Pryor Cuckooroller here.

Compare it with a Village weaver (non breeding colors) and a Village weaver (breeding color) in my gallery and read the interesting critiques.

I recommend this one as my favorite: Village weaver or Spottedbacked weaver

Why do they call it a “Weaver”? You can view this here.





Same session as in my two previous posts.
Worth mentioning is the rather big crop in all these images. I prefer the cropping to the 1.4 teleconverter.
Same PP workflow.

File info…

Camera Model Name
Canon EOS-1D Mark III
Shooting Date/Time
23/10/2007 08:06:00
Tv(Shutter Speed)
1/640Sec.
Av(Aperture Value)
F5.6
Metering Modes
Evaluative metering
Exposure Compensation
0
ISO Speed
400
Lens
EF400mm f/2.8L IS USM
Focal Length
400,0 mm
Image size
3888 x 2592
Image Quality
RAW
Flash
Off
White Balance
Auto
AF mode
One-Shot AF
Picture Style
Standard
Parameters
Tone Curve : Standard
Sharpness level : -
Pattern Sharpness : -
Contrast : 0
Sharpness : 3
Color saturation : 0
Color tone : 0


Thanks…
Have a nice day!
eng55, cicindela, Hil, nkasot, lise, Jamesp, maurydv, Adanac, gannu, uleko has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To AnimalExplorer: Hello Paul,vanderschelden 1 04-28 11:38
To eng55: Thank you, Omervanderschelden 1 04-28 10:03
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • joska Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 26 W: 0 N: 117] (736)
  • [2008-04-28 9:23]

This is a very good shot from this yellow bird!

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 339 W: 3 N: 371] (1095)
  • [2008-04-28 9:55]
  • [+]

Beautiful capture.Brighten eyes and colors are excellent.
Lovely work!

Hello Annick!
This is one of the most complete presentation I have seen on TN! The number of useful and interesting links is really impressive, and of course the picture is very good!!!
Nothing to add - simple very interesting presentation!
Greetings,
Radomir

  • Great 
  • Hil Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 782 W: 11 N: 1380] (4759)
  • [2008-04-28 11:09]

Hi Annick,

Lovely capture of the beautiful Weaver.
Nicely composed with a great POV and a fabulous pose.
Excellent feather detail and nice light in the eye.
Well saturated colours and a lovely vibrant yellow.

Hil

Hi Annick,
Very nice close-up of this passerine showing incredible detail in the plumage of this beautiful contrasty yellow & black resident of Africa. How many different types of animals did you photograph while in Africa? Also, in what period of time did you capture all your fantastic images? TFS
Paul :)

Hi Annick.

Back later with comments...

Pekka

Woowww... splendid capture and very beautifull bird Sir Annick.
TFS. Regards,
Nazım

  • Great 
  • lise Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 179 W: 52 N: 513] (2515)
  • [2008-04-28 16:36]

Hi Annick,
Wow! What a beautiful bird!
Great vivid colours and amazing sharpness. Love the blurred bg, it really brings out the subject.
Bravo!
Lise

Annick,

That is a classic photograph. Very nicely composed, with great detail, sharpness and POV. Even though you took it in full sunlight, you managed the lighting conditions very well. Awesome work.

Best Regards,

Martin

  • Great 
  • rcrick Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 557 W: 39 N: 1001] (3266)
  • [2008-04-28 20:17]

Hi Annick,

Phew! that was some research but worth the effort, a truly stunning looking bird with amazing colours, the detail is exceptional, perfectly framed and composed, beautiful eye detail too,

Cheers Rick :)

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1223 W: 0 N: 4449] (13290)
  • [2008-04-28 22:33]

Hi Annick

Great capture - an excellent close-up with excellent detail and eye contact.

James

Bellissimo primo piano per questo bellissimo uccello, ottimi POV e DOF, molto bello il taglio compositivo verticale, molto buona la nitidezza, bellissimi i colori. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio

Hi Annick,
What a cute yellow bird it is. Light, natural and warm colors, composition, DOF and POV grea. Well done. TFS. Regards,
Mustafa

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1555 W: 233 N: 5091] (17959)
  • [2008-04-29 10:15]

Hello Annick,
gorgeous bird and a gorgeous capture!
Lovely colours and light.
Very sharp with tonnes of detail.
Great diagonal composition too.
Very well done!

Joe

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1029 W: 1 N: 3939] (13258)
  • [2008-04-29 21:02]

Hello Annick,
What incredible beauty, both the species and the image. Fantastic work my friend.
Rick

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 729 W: 4 N: 1811] (8608)
  • [2008-04-30 0:13]

Hello Annick, WOW what a shot. Excellent pose of the bird and its eye focus. Well done and TFS Ganesh

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2297 W: 163 N: 6694] (21146)
  • [2008-05-01 4:20]

Hello Annick,
What a splendid close-up of this beautiful Weaver! Excellent focus on the eye and the yellow colour of the plumage is striking. Excellent sharpness and a very fine composition too. Well done!
Many thanks, Ulla

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