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ZooChat Challenge (Global) 2017

Discussion in 'Quizzes, Competitions & Games' started by ThylacineAlive, 1 Jan 2017.

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  1. ThylacineAlive

    ThylacineAlive Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Happy New Year everyone! And with a new year comes a new challenge, and for this competition's fifth installment @devilfish (the 2016 Challenge winner) and myself have settled on Passerines. This is a very large and variable group which is well-represented in zoos across the world so should make for a very competitive and fun challenge.

    Rules are as follows:
    1. You have to actually see the animal, even if just for a second. You don't score if you visit a collection but don't see the animal (harsh, but fair);
    2. Proof via photographs is not required, your word is your bond;
    3. All entries must be presented in numbered list form, with scientific names included (simply to make it easier to keep track of and to avoid uncountable species being slipped in due to vagueness);
    4. You have to see the animal via normal public access (i.e. not including zookeeper for the day or photography days behind the scenes) during normal public opening hours (i.e. no scoring because you know the keeper and can get access before/after hours). Basically the species has to be seen as Joe Public would;
    5. Any severely limited opening or private collections don't count for this challenge. Controversial yes, but see previous point and it isn't fair to include a handful of days these collections might be open to the public as this might logistically disadvantage a large number of people;
    6. Only public zoological collections count, animals seen at farms or pet stores do not count.
    7. Report/update your progress on this thread as you go along;
    8. Only one subspecies per species can be counted;
    9. Controversial entries due to splits will be discussed on a case-by-case basis;
    10. Domestics do not count, the animals must be in a wild form. You can count a species that's been domesticated just as long as the animal you're looking at isn't (i.e. Australian Zebra Finches count but Domestic Zebra Finches do not);
    11. Hybrid animals do not count;
    12. Wild animals do not count, all species must be seen in captivity under all the conditions listed above;
    13. Any issues with any of the above rules is open to discussion but the rules are set and any decisions made are final;
    14. Except for the unlikely event that someone gets to see all the species potentially see-able by 12/31/17 the winner will be deemed to be the person(s) who's seen the most at that date.

    As always, thanks to @Shorts for the original challenge idea. Also thanks to @TeaLovingDave for suggesting this year's topic.

    Good luck everyone, looking forward to seeing how we all do!

    ~Thylo
     
    Last edited: 1 Jan 2017
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  2. Charlie Simmomds

    Charlie Simmomds Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Well I need a visit to Chester STAT haha!
     
  3. DragonDust101

    DragonDust101 Well-Known Member

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    Went to Central Park zoo Today, saw these guys-
    Bali Mynah
    Fawn-Breasted Bowerbird
    Blue-Gray Tanager
    Emerald Starling
    Golden-Breasted Starling
    Fairy Bluebird
    Magpie Shrike
    Metallic Starling
    Red Bird Of Paradise
    Superb Starling
    Troupial
    And some kind of Starling that was metallic blue with A vey long tail, forgot the name.
    That puts me in first place with 11 passerines.
     
  4. DragonDust101

    DragonDust101 Well-Known Member

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    Also saw the Taveta Golden Weaver.
    So 12.
     
  5. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    I'd argue that to avoid ambiguities, all species should be listed with scientific names. Moreover, if you don't have a precise identification for your long-tailed starling or troupial, I think your total will only be 10 taxa.
     
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  6. LaughingDove

    LaughingDove Well-Known Member

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    I may as well start with some additions from Zlin today. Unfortunately the majority of the bird collection is not visible during the winter months so this list is considerably shorter than it would have been in the summer, but I still saw a few nice passerines:

    1) Red-rumped Cacique (Cacicus haemorrhous)
    2) Scarlet-headed Blackbird (Amblyramphus holosericeus)
    3) Yellow-rumped Cacique (Cacicus cela)
    4) Capuchinbird (Perissocephalus tricolor)
    5) Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea)
    6) White-headed Buffalo-weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli)
    7) White-naped Raven (Corvus albicollis)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 1 Jan 2017
  7. ThylacineAlive

    ThylacineAlive Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Agreed, and as such I've added one more rule.

    ~Thylo
     
  8. ThylacineAlive

    ThylacineAlive Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Central Park has Icterus icterus and the starling is Lamprotornis caudatus.

    ~Thylo
     
  9. jayjds2

    jayjds2 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I'm already out of luck- my local Bird House is closing tomorrow! It's too late to visit today, as well. It's a shame, as there are some uncommonly kept native species there currently.
    This year will be fun, I've got a long trip planned for the summer, and if I'm lucky, another for December! Good luck to all!
     
  10. pipaluk

    pipaluk Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    My visit to Colchester zoo today kicked my list off...
    1. Western Village Weaver - Ploceus cucullatus

    That's it!!
     
  11. LaughingDove

    LaughingDove Well-Known Member

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    I think scientific names are particularly unnecessary with birds because there are official English bird names and all the checklists, particularly some such as the IOC, have English bird names specified to the point where even things like whether names are hyphenated or one word or where the hyphen goes are specified. As such, in my opinion there is just as much room for confusion if the scientific name is used as there is if the officially recognised common name is used.

    With other taxa, particularly reptiles, invertebrates, or rodents for example, there is no (as far as I know) officially recognised list of common names for those so I understand the need for scientific names, but with birds, it is not necessary in my opinion.

    However if you are still decided on requiring scientific names, I will go back and write up the list fully with scientific names every month or something like that.
     
  12. LaughingDove

    LaughingDove Well-Known Member

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    After a long discussion/debate in the chatroom we have agreed to require scientific names (though I stand by my original points that it is unnecessary and is more likely to stifle the challenge rather than enhance it :p) as such, I have added to scientific names to my post quoted below since the new forum software seems to only allow a very short period of editing.

     
  13. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    I'll edit them in for you :)
     
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  14. LaughingDove

    LaughingDove Well-Known Member

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    A very small number of additions from Jihlava Zoo today. Though their mammal collection, particularly small cats, is excellent, they have very few birds.

    8) White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus)
    9) Red-billed Leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea)
    10) Australian Magpie (Cracticus tibicen)
    11) Common Raven (Corvus corax)
     
  15. zoogiraffe

    zoogiraffe Well-Known Member

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    Okay having visited Chester on the 1st I will throw a little total out and see what happens over the year

    1) Amethyst Starling (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster)
    2) Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanopica cyanus)
    3) Fairy-Bluebird (Irena puella)
    4) Red-billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax)
    5) Chestnut-backed Ground-thrush (Zoothera dohertyi)
    6) Emerald Starling (Lamprotornis iris)
    7) Golden-breasted Starling (Lamprotornis regius)
    8) Grey-winged Blackbird (Turdus boulboul)
    9) Red-billed Blue Magpie (Urocissa erythroryncha occipitalis)
    10) Java Sparrow (Padda oryzivora)
    11) Madagascar Fody (Foudia madagascariensis)
    12) Montserrat Oriole (Icterus oberi)
    13) Peking Robin (Leiothrix lutea)
    14) Red-tailed Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron milnei)
    15) Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus)
    16) Scissor-billed Starling (Scissirostrum dubium)
    17) Snowy-crowned Robin-chat (Cossypha niveicapilla)
    18) Sumatran Laughingthrush (Garrulax bicolor)
    19) Timor Sparrow (Padda fuscata)
    20) Timor Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata guttata)
    21) White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus)
    22) White-throated Orange-headed Ground-trush (Zoothera citrina cyanota)
    23) Yellow-faced Mynah (Mino dumontii)

    That is all for the moment as at the moment the rest are in areas closed off due to bird flu!
     
  16. jayjds2

    jayjds2 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    While the zoo's signs made it seem as if the house would be closed today, it was not! I visited on a whim, and thankfully discovered it was open. As such, here are my first passerines of the year:
    National Zoo 1/2/17
    1. Wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina
    2. Baltimore oriole Icterus galbula
    3. Swamp sparrow Melospiza georgiana georgiana (also saw M.g. nigrescens)
    4. Southern (African) masked weaver Ploceus velatus
    5. Black-capped chickadee Poecile atricapillus
    6. Common yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
    7. Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
    8. Indigo bunting Passerina cyanea
    9. Scarlet tanager Piranga olivacea
    10. Red-crested cardinal Paroaria coronata
    11. Crested oropendola Psarocolius decumanus
    12. Blue-gray tanager Thraupis episcopus
    13. Common raven Corvus corax
    14. Silver-beaked tanager Ramphocelus carbo
    15. Yellow-rumped cacique Cacicus cela

    Puts me in second place, though only temporarily, I'm sure.
     
  17. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    Second place, behind zoogiraffe :p
     
  18. jayjds2

    jayjds2 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    It was quite temporary; I would have been in first when I started typing up my post but since I took a while to do so, I was in second by the time I finished! Thanks for pointing that out, it's now corrected.
     
  19. pipaluk

    pipaluk Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Well after 2 zoo visits I'm in 5th,still stuck on one!
    So I'd be be very happy with 2nd place!
     
  20. LaughingDove

    LaughingDove Well-Known Member

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    From Warsaw Zoo, and probably my last additions for a few months:

    12) Java Sparrow (Lonchura oryzivora)
    13) Asian Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanopica cyanus)
    14) Eurasian Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
    15) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    16) Woodlark (Lullula arborea)
    17) White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
    18) Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
    19) Yellow-crowned Bishop (Euplectes afer)
    20) Northern Red Bishop (Euplectes franciscanus)
    21) Cut-throat Finch (Amadina fasciata)
    22) Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae)
    23) Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acuticauda)
    24) Sudan Golden Sparrow (Passer luteus)
    25) Bali Myna (Leucopsar rothschildi)
    26) Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis)
    27) Greater Blue-eared Glossy-starling (Lamprotornis chalybaeus)
    28) White-eyed Bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthopygos)
    29) Red Fody (Foudia madagascariensis)
    30) Asian Fairy-bluebird (Irena puella)
    31) Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus)
    32) Red-billed Blue-magpie (Urocissa erythroryncha)

    Also, a query about what can be counted and what can't. Warsaw Zoo has a building that functions as a CITES Centre and also for rehabilitating rescued birds with aviaries on the outside of the building that hold rescued birds. The building is very clearly visible from the main path through the zoo with signs from the path saying what the building is, so it is not exactly off-show, but there is no access directly to the building so it is not exactly on-show either. This picture should give an idea of what I mean, and the birds are in those aviaries on the side CITES Centre | ZooChat

    Assuming this does count (because the rule states 'can be seen from normal public access' which this certainly can be), it also adds:

    33) Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
    34) Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
    35) Common Magpie (Pica pica)
     
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