A pale and grayish female bluebird found in North Carolina recently (March 2012) provided a very interesting identification challenge. The plumage colors were a good match for a typical female Mountain Bluebird, and that is how it was first identified. North Carolina has only one previous report of Mountain Bluebird, so this bird received a […]
Identification of female bluebirds by wing structure Read More »
Most birds have a very different pattern on the upperside and underside of their wings. On the coverts (the leading edge of the wing) this is easily explained because we are looking at entirely different feathers above and below. On the primaries and secondaries, however, there is just a single layer of feathers. How can
Wings, above and below Read More »
Just released and available for download at the Windows Phone Marketplace – The Sibley eGuide can now be used on any device running Windows Phone 7. All of the features of the eGuide on other platforms are included here: compare any two images, maps, or sounds on a single screen filter by state and by
Sibley eGuide for Windows Phone 7 – now available Read More »
The feathers along the side of the lower jaw have a very confusing history of terminology. They’ve been called the malar stripe (in many early and mid 20th century bird books), the submoustachial ((Because this was a British proposal, the spelling is British “moustache” rather than the American “mustache”, and American bird guides have continued
What is the submoustachial? Read More »
The feathers that grow on the sides of the head above the eyes of a bird are called the supercilium, and when they contrast in color with the adjacent feathers we call that an eyebrow stripe. There’s lots of variation in the shape of the eyebrow stripe, and in some closely-related species this can be
The changeable shape of the supercilium Read More »
In a previous post I’ve talked about Trumpeter Swans with yellow bill spots as a source of confusion with Tundra Swan. I speculated that the yellow spots might be showing because the birds are leucistic (lacking melanin). The responses to that post are worthy of a follow-up. Harry Lumsden, who has studied the reintroduced Trumpeter
Trumpeter Swans, yellow bill spots, and leucism Read More »
One of the well-defined groups of feathers on the underside of a bird is what we call the breast. In reality, on songbirds these feathers grow from the front of the neck, extending down so that the tips of the feathers (which is all we can see) cover the foreparts of the body – the
Introduction to breast feathers Read More »
I’m happy to report some news about the Sibley eGuide to birds: The price of the app in all versions has been reduced 30% to $19.99, and a new Lite version for iPhone and iPad is available for free at iTunes. This is a fully functional version of the app that includes only 30 species.
News about the eGuide to Birds Read More »
In previous posts here I’ve asked “How many rare birds do we miss?” and the related question “How many rare birds do we find?” Several recent rare bird discoveries provide a good chance to revisit these questions. Consider these recent discoveries:
Rare birds “under the radar” Read More »
I’ll be at MassAudubon’s annual Birders Meeting next Saturday, March 3rd, in Waltham, Massachusetts. Directions and more info is here. The theme is seabirds, and there is a great lineup of presentations by such luminaries as Debi Shearwater and Dr. Steven Kress. When you’re not engrossed in the presentations, you can find me at a table
Upcoming event: March 3rd in Massachusetts Read More »