Bruce's Mystery Bird

Last week my friend Bruce saw this bird fall past his window at work in Witbank (presumably from the gutter), where it had what seemed to be a fit of some sorts - it just lay there on the ground on its back flapping its wings. So Bruce went out, caught the bird, comforted it, and gave it some water. After a while the bird recovered to such an extent that it could stand by itself again, and later seemed perfectly normal before it flew off.

He took two photographs of the bird using his cellphone, and asked me to identify it. And so I'm uhmmm, stumped. So is my birding mentor Derick. In our defense I have to say the pictures aren't that great and doesn't show the breast or underparts well. ;-)


Bruce described it the following way:

• Bigger than a finch, smaller than a dove :-)
• Very green on the back, NOT mottled
• Definite black eye
• Longish, grey legs
• Very sharp bill

So, what does the experts say?