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Today's Mystery Bird For You To Identify

This African mystery bird is a member of a group of birds where a flock is known, appropriately enough, as a "deceit"

Mystery Bird photographed at Mikumi National Park, Tanzania, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]

Image: Dan Logen, 8 January 2010 [with binoculars].
Nikon D300s, 600 mm lens x 1.4 extender, ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/200 sec.

This bird is a member of a group that contains (probably) 24 species. However, this group of birds baffles ornithologists; some group these birds into 19 distinct genera, while others place them all into the same genus. A flock of these birds is known, appropriately enough, as a "deceit."

Daily Mystery Bird Rules:

1. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification, keeping in mind that more than one field mark is often necessary to distinguish between species. IDs without any supporting information are not valid and may be deleted by the moderators.
2. Expert and intermediate level birders: do NOT try to be the first to blurt out the mystery bird's ID. Instead, please provide helpful hints, such as descriptions, literary references, puns, personal anecdotes, and other forms of discussion and assistance for beginning birders and for those following on their iPhones without naming the species. Expert and intermediate birders are free to name the bird species 24 or more hours after it was first published.
4. Each bird species will be demystified 48 hours after publication.


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