Dear all

I have had some interesting debates with visitors who posted pictures of
several birds taken here in Kenya on a world website , which raised
taxonomic issues and names !

Three especially were debated

1  Olive Thrush .

According to our Green check list  of 1996 , our Olive Thrush [no.816]
is Turdus olivaceous.

Zimmerman [plate 91]  still calls it the Olive Thrush but is Turdus
olivaceous abyssinicus

Stephenson  [plate 168] also calls it the Olive Thrush , Turdus
olivaceous , but mentions 6 races .

Sinclair's Birds of Africa [p440]  comments that Turdus olivaceous [and
is only found in Southern Africa]  has recently been split and ours is
now the Mountain Thrush , Turdus abyssinicus .

2   Grey Headed Sparrow

Our Green check list mentions only the Grey headed [ no.1187]  Passer
griseus

Zimmerman the same but has subspecies.  [plate 108]

Stephenson also  the same [plate 252]  but also has separately the
Parrot-billed sparrow, Passer gorgorensis

Sinclair  calls ours the Northern Grey headed Sparrow , Passer griseus
and has the same as Stephenson for the Parrot billed.

3 Black Headed or village weaver.

The green check list [no 1232] has only the Black-headed weaver ,
Ploceus cucullatus.

Zimmerman [plate 115] talks about Black-headed or village , also Ploceus
cucllatus.

Stephenson [plate255] has Black-headed , village, or spotted-backed ,
all Ploceus cucllatus
but has subspecies bohndorffi and paroptus.

 Sinclair has
   a]   village or spotted-backed as Plocus cucullatus
   b]   Black-headed or yellow backed Plocus melancophalus.

This all seems very confusing for beginner and visitor .

I gather we are going to an update of our green check list and assume we
will sort this out  ??

Are there any other species that we ought to have another look at ??

Happy birding , provided we know which bird !

Mike Davidson