Commons:Valued image candidates/Greater blue-eared starling (Lamprotornis chalybaeus).jpg

Greater blue-eared starling (Lamprotornis chalybaeus).jpg

promoted

Image
Nominated by	Charles (talk) on 2016-12-29 10:20 (UTC)
Scope	Nominated as the most valued image on Commons within the scope: Lamprotornis chalybaeus sycobius (Greater blue-eared starling)
Used in	Global usage
Review (criteria)	Comment - Let's have a discussion. I looked through any file that seemed like it could possibly give this one a run for its money. I came up with but one: File:Lamprotornis chalybaeus, Mpumalanga Rural, Mpumalanga, South Africa.jpg. The way I would compare them is: (1) The bird is larger in your photo; (2) because of that, the dark markings on its back and side are spaced more widely, and also because we are seeing an almost perfectly 180-degree profile of the bird, we see more of the dark markings; (3) the bird has its beak open (presumably singing), so we can see into the beak, unlike in the other photo; however (4) the other bird is shot in sunlight, so its colors are more vivid, and we can see the difference between the blue and purple feathers much more clearly in the other photo; (5) we can see more of the bird's feet in the other photo; (6) the other bird is more in focus, except for the tails, which are about equal in degree of focus though yours is larger; (7) so we can clearly see individual feathers more clearly in the other photo; (8) the bird's eye and arguably its beak are more vividly portrayed in the other photo; (9) the bird in the other photo arguably has a more lively facial expression. Having gone through this comparison, I think I ultimately come down on the side of the other file being more valuable, but before I vote, I am quite willing to read and consider your thoughts, as someone who has actually photographed this bird and done a good job at it. -- Ikan Kekek (talk) 13:46, 29 December 2016 (UTC)  Comment The markings on the bird are differently spaced because they are different sub-species. Mine is ssp. sycobius and the South African bird is ssp. nordmanni. @Ikan Kekek: I should have specified sub-species in nomination. Charles (talk) 12:54, 30 December 2016 (UTC) Thank you, and  Support as best in scope for this sub-species. I will nominate the other picture as best in scope for the other subspecies. -- Ikan Kekek (talk) 16:48, 30 December 2016 (UTC) Result: 1 support, 0 oppose => promoted. Archaeodontosaurus (talk) 13:05, 2 January 2017 (UTC)