Maybe we are just more aware and looking harder for “Greater” Common Redpolls (Carduelis flammea rostrata) this winter in Massachusetts, or maybe it’s really an exceptional winter, but there is no doubt that they have come south in significant numbers. I have seen them on a couple of visits to Dan Berard’s feeders in Millbury, […]
Redpoll investigation widens to include “Greater” Read More »
In considering the true status and distribution of Hoary Redpoll, I realized that I had overlooked one significant source of information – the Christmas Bird Count results. While Common Redpoll nests throughout the boreal forests across the continent, Hoary is virtually unknown as a breeder east of Hudson Bay (ignoring the “Hornemann’s” Hoaries in Greenland
Where do Hoary Redpolls winter? Read More »
The question of age variation has come up repeatedly in redpoll discussions, so I finally tried to find an answer to the question of just how important age-related variation in plumage might be. And based on published studies the answer is … not very important. Seutin et al. (1992) studied redpolls at Churchill, Manitoba using
Redpoll age variation and ID Read More »
Redpoll identification is challenging because Hoary and Common Redpoll seem to show an unbroken continuum of variation from pale to dark, and there are no fully reliable differences. So birders have to rely on a subjective assessment of overall color and struggle to define the threshold for confident identification. Virtually all birders see redpolls only
Urging caution when identifying Common Redpolls Read More »
I’m reposting here some comments I just sent to ID-Frontiers, about a pale redpoll in Illinois and another in Massachusetts: The comment under these photos on the ILBIRDS forum giving the bird an index score between 11 and 12 is, I would say, overly generous. The undertail coverts that we can see (not much) seem
Comments on two redpolls Read More »
[edited 12 and 14 Jan, 2008, adding comments about the index] I’ve been thinking about redpolls more, and had another, more careful, look at Troy’s 1985 paper, which is filled with interesting observations and some serious “food for thought”. First of all, Troy identified redpoll specimens using a character index, which is a well-established method
A Character Index for Redpoll identification Read More »
I have had two inquiries about Tropical Parula in the last 24 hours, prompted by a bird currently in Austin, Texas. You can check out that bird in photos by Andy Balinsky and photos and some background by Martin Reid. It has the throat pattern and extensively yellow underparts of Tropical Parula, but the pale
On the MOU website: a Hoary photo Here from Minnesota (where Hoary is expected and the threshold is low) of a pale Hoary-type with a relatively long bill Some other recent Hoary photos from Michigan – scroll left and right to see about 5 shots From Ontario this photo and the two following show a
A couple of Redpoll additions Read More »
More thoughts on redpolls after yesterday’s post, prompted by my own nagging doubts and a query from Nick Anich: In all of this redpoll ID discussion, I think people ask the general question “How can I identify a Hoary?” when what they mean is the more specific question “Just how pale/small-billed/unstreaked does a redpoll have
The Redpoll Questions Read More »
[Edited 2 Jan to add a hint of uncertainty to the identifications] Over the holidays I was able to spend a few days at my parents’ house in upstate New York, and enjoyed the redpolls that were visiting the bird feeder. I saw one clear-cut Hoary and at least two other Hoary-type Redpolls, and at
My Holiday (Redpoll) Photos Read More »