On 5 April 2011 in Concord Massachusetts I was walking the edge of a field where I often go birding, and heard very distinctly the sputtering call of an Eastern Kingbird. It was about four weeks early for that species, and I assumed it was a European Starling mimicking from the trees above me, but […]
Vocal copying by American Robin Read More »
Not an April Fool’s joke, this is a real photo taken today by Scott Young in New Hampshire (Thanks, Scott). Clicking the photo links to his Flickr site where you can also see other photos of redpolls, including Hoarys.
Sibley Guide in action – Redpoll Identification Read More »
Reader Richard Messer sent me the photos below, asking if I knew what the behavior was that displayed the white “rump spots” of the Carolina Wren. My answer is “no”. I’ve noticed spots like this a few times in the field, but never had a chance to really wonder about them. The BNA account for
Carolina Wren mystery spots Read More »
Identifying subspecies adds richness to your birding by adding another layer of understanding. What’s more, during spring migration, behavior can offer a quick and fairly reliable clue to use when distinguishing local breeders from migrants. This is simply an extension of a bit of advice often given for identifying shorebirds: to watch for birds around
Identifying subspecies by behavior – Savannah Sparrow Read More »
The Green-winged Teal (known as Common Teal in English-speaking parts of Eurasia) is currently considered a single species by the AOU, but two subspecies are distinctive in adult male plumage and are split into two species by many authorities. Green-winged Teal (American) – Anas crecca carolinensis Common Teal (Eurasian) – Anas crecca crecca ((Common Teal nests in
Distinguishing Green-winged and Common Teal Read More »
The Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) occurs throughout much of North America, but is found in largely disjunct populations. Only two North American subspecies are listed by Ely and Dzubin (1994), four by Pyle (2008), but five well-defined “population units” have occurred in North America, and there may be more. Banks (2011) recognizes four of
Distribution of Greater White-fronted Goose subspecies Read More »
Summary The two subspecies of Purple Finch are fairly distinctive with well-defined ranges. They are best distinguished by overall impression of color and pattern, and more objectively by details of back and head pattern. Virtually all individuals should be safely identifiable in the field, but the frequency and extent of intergradation is unknown. Eastern Purple
Distinguishing the subspecies of Purple Finch Read More »
Not really. Only under ideal conditions and with reference to location. Mountain Chickadee is found throughout much of the montane coniferous forest of the west, and up to seven subspecies have been described and named. These were sorted by Behle (1956) into Rocky Mountain, Great Basin, and California groups which differ in a complex mosaic
Can subspecies of Mountain Chickadee be identified in the field? Read More »
It’s early morning and you’re out on a bird walk following your guide under a gray sky. A flock of small songbirds flits over the distant treetops. The birds reveal no field marks (or so you think), so you’re surprised and mystified when the birder leading the group says matter-of-factly, “Eight House Finches.” “How is
Identifying songbirds by flocking behavior Read More »
Caribbean Coot Fulica caribaea (found sparingly and locally in the West Indies from Hispaniola south and east to the coast of Venezuela) is virtually identical to American Coot except for its all-white frontal shield (Roberson and Baptista, 1988). ((The claim by Brisbin and Mowbray (2002) that American and Caribbean coots can be distinguished by the
The ‘Caribbean’ Coot in North America Read More »