Common Iora

Photographed this near Pune with Sagar :).

Canon 50D, 100-400mm L IS USM, ISO 200, f7.1, 1/320, hand held

comments and critiques welcome.

Nice image...

The bird is sharp. The background is however busy and doesn't help keep focus on the bird. A bit more space below would have been better.

Checked the ID. It looks like Marshall's Iora (female)/ Imm Male

Marshall's Iora have black and white tails (m and f both) compared to common ioras which have yellow (f) and full black (m) tails.

The Marshall's Iora male has a black cap on its crest and a pure yellow collar in breeding plumage.

In this specimen however, there is a hint of black above the eye. So could be an immature Male Iora too. not sure there.

Nice sharp image, would have been great if the bg was diffused :)

Lovely shot. The bird is sharp and well-lit. I don't really mind the BG. It is difficult to get a clear BG with the kind of habitat this bird is found in. A little more space at the bottom would have helped.

Thanks all for the comments.

Bibhav, thanks for the information on the id. As Abhishek has mentioned, it was flying around in small dense shrubs, it lucky perched on a branch in a bit clear so we could photograph.