ID-FRONTIERS for June 1-5, 2004

Messages are displayed in the order they were received.  Subject  From  Date   Time   Possible Horned Lark in UK   BrianJSmall(AT)AOL.COM   Tue, 1 Jun 2004   1:14am   King/Clapper Rail?   Matthew P. Garvey 99   Wed, 2 Jun 2004   7:52pm   strange Orchard Oriole   Kent Nickell    Fri, 4 Jun 2004   3:35am   Mystery duck   Floyd Hayes    Fri, 4 Jun 2004   6:37am   Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler questions   Cliff and Lisa Weiss   Fri, 4 Jun 2004   9:20am   Re: Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler questions   Larry Gorbet    Fri, 4 Jun 2004   9:25am   Re: Mystery duck   John Idzikowski    Fri, 4 Jun 2004   9:34am   Re: Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler questions   Jocelyn Hudon    Fri, 4 Jun 2004   10:54am   Re: strange Orchard Oriole   Jocelyn Hudon    Fri, 4 Jun 2004   11:04am   FW: strange Orchard Oriole   Jocelyn Hudon    Fri, 4 Jun 2004   11:14am   Re: Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler questions   J. Harry Krueger   Fri, 4 Jun 2004   12:08pm   Re: Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler questions   Jocelyn Hudon    Fri, 4 Jun 2004   12:25pm   Re: Mystery duck   Floyd Hayes    Fri, 4 Jun 2004   1:11pm   Re: Mystery duck   GreatGrayOwl(AT)AOL.COM   Fri, 4 Jun 2004   2:28pm   Re: Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler questions   GreatGrayOwl(AT)AOL.COM   Fri, 4 Jun 2004   2:36pm   Re: [BIRDWGO1] Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler questions   Tjheindel(AT)AOL.COM   Fri, 4 Jun 2004   3:21pm   Hybrid Mac/Mourning   SGMlod(AT)AOL.COM   Fri, 4 Jun 2004   7:17pm   Likely, not parsimonious   SGMlod(AT)AOL.COM   Fri, 4 Jun 2004   7:22pm   Mourning & MacGillivray's hybrid   Tjheindel(AT)AOL.COM   Sat, 5 Jun 2004   8:36am   Re: Mystery duck   Bruce Deuel    Sat, 5 Jun 2004   7:19pm

To use email addresses replace '(AT)' with '@'. This is done to confuse the spam 'bots.

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Subject: Possible Horned Lark in UK
From: BrianJSmall(AT)AOL.COM
Date: 1 Jun 2004 1:14am

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All

One of the more interesting birds in Britain during 2001 was a possible =E2=
=80=98Shore
=E2=80=99 Lark Eremophila alpestris ssp. seen on St Agnes and Tresco, Isles=20=
of Scilly=20
from 2nd October.  Found by Darryl Spittle, this bird generated much=20
discussion at the time, and I published an article in Birding World (Februar=
y 2002)=20
explaining why, after museum work, I thought it was of the North American ra=
ce=20
alpestris, colloquially known as 'Horned Lark' in the UK.  I have recently=20
posted an edited version onto surfbirds, and would like to draw comments fro=
m=20
those in N America, with greater experience than I have.  The article can be=
 found=20
at
=20
http://www.surfbirds.com/ID%20Articles/smallhlark/smallhlark0504.html

The purpose of this edited article is to prompt some discussion from birders=
=20
in North America as to whether they feel that the Scilly bird is indeed an=20
alpestris, whether the features discussed fit their image of that form, and=20
hopefully draw together a library of images of the various forms in North Am=
erica=20
or elsewhere.  If I receive any, I would (with the photographers' permission=
)=20
like to add them to the article.  I include a list of the various subspecies=
=20
recognised by Pyle and other authorities.

Horned Lark was formerly included on the BOU Checklist on the basis of a=20
specimen obtained by Meinertzhagen from South Uist (discussed later), but wa=
s=20
subsequently removed. However, the likelihood of Nearctic forms of Horned La=
rk=20
turning up in Britain was raised by Garner (1999), regarding a Shore Lark=20
observed in County Down, Northern Ireland in 1998. P=C3=A9tursson and =C3=
=93lafsson (1999) also=20
describe a similar bird found dead in Iceland in November 1981. The Scilly=20
bird shared many features with both of these birds and they almost certainly=
=20
belong to the same race. =20

If this record does show the characters of alpestris, this record would be=20
the first record for Britain, hence my interest in it.

Brian Small

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Subject: King/Clapper Rail?
From: "Matthew P. Garvey 99" <Matthew.P.Garvey.99(AT)ALUM.DARTMOUTH.ORG>
Date: 2 Jun 2004 7:52pm

There's been a lot of talk about this bird on the Massbird listserve, with folks
 expressing all opinions from classic king to classic clapper, with most folks
suggesting it's a female king or a king/clapper hybrid--and that the two are
arguably indistiguishable.  that Phil Brown took and weigh in on the issue?

The bird is being seen pretty regularly, and there are apparently at least a
couple of "obvious" king rails hanging out nearby.  (I've only seen this bird.) 
 There have also apparently long been a few clappers that summer near where this
 bird is being seen on Plum Island, Massachusetts.  Apparently the pool in which
 the bird is hanging out is now purely fresh water, though it has been brackish
in the past.

Thanks!
Matt Garvey
Brookline, MA

PS  There's a link to the call this bird's been making at the website.  For
those who can't access that sound file, folks have described the call as "kic,
kic, kerrr," which aptly describes what I've heard.
 
--- Forwarded message from "Phil Brown" ---

>From: "Phil Brown" <nebirds.plus(AT)verizon.net>
>To: <massbird(AT)world.std.com>
>Subject: [MASSBIRD] Plum Island Rail photos
>Date: Sun, 30 May 2004 21:35:21 -0400
>Sender: massbird-approval(AT)world.std.com
>Precedence: list
>Reply-To: "Phil Brown" <nebirds.plus(AT)verizon.net>

A few photos of one of the Rails in the Bill Forward Pool on the Parker
River NWR can be seen at:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze2xrsu/id43.html

Enjoy,
Phil Brown
Essex, MA 01929
nebirds.plus(AT)verizion.net


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Subject: strange Orchard Oriole
From: Kent Nickell <mountainpath(AT)MCHSI.COM>
Date: 4 Jun 2004 3:35am

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Hi all, I was wondering if anyone else has seen a bird similar to this.  =
It looks basically like an adult male Icterus spurius but it has a =
striking amount of bright yellow on the head.  I was wondering if it =
could be molting into adult plumage but apparently it has been coming to =
a feeder in northeast Iowa for a month without noticing a plumage =
change.  Also it was apparently seen for a short time at the same feeder =
last year.  Others have suggested a possible pigment anomaly especially =
since there is no black in the lores.  Any thoughts here?.   Have a few =
photos at http://www.greenbackedheron.com/id.cfm?setid=3D1089.    =
Cheers, =20

Kent Nickell
Waterloo, Iowa
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Subject: Mystery duck
From: Floyd Hayes <floyd_hayes(AT)YAHOO.COM>
Date: 4 Jun 2004 6:37am

What's this weird little duck?

http://www.geocities.com/floyd_hayes/mysteryduck

Floyd Hayes
Angwin, CA

__________________________________
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Subject: Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler questions
From: Cliff and Lisa Weisse <october(AT)IDA.NET>
Date: 4 Jun 2004 9:20am

I have some questions regarding eye ring/crescents on female
Mourning and MacGillivray's Warblers.  Does anyone know of
an instance(s) of female MacGillivray's Warbler having a
complete eye ring?  What about a narrow (narrower than eye
crescents on typical Macs) eye ring with very small breaks,
visible only at very close range, front and rear (one birder
in eastern ID reports finding several such birds over the
past five or six years)?  I've found conflicting evidence
regarding complete eye rings on female Mourning Warblers but
I've concluded that it is possible.  Any thoughts on
possibility/probability of a complete whitish eye ring on
first spring or adult female MOWAs would be appreciated.

The reason for these questions is a bird seen in eastern
Idaho on 5/31 that fit female MacGillivray's Warbler in
plumage and structure except for the presence of a narrow,
complete whitish eye ring.  The bird was seen at close
range, 25-35 feet, and from opposite angles, by two
observers.  Connecticut and Nashville Warblers were ruled
out but plumage, structure, and/or behavior.  Unfortunately
the bird did not vocalize.

Thanks in advance.

Cliff

Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, ID
october(AT)ida.net


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Subject: Re: Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler questions
From: Larry Gorbet <lgorbet(AT)UNM.EDU>
Date: 4 Jun 2004 9:25am

Cliff and Lisa Weisse <october(AT)IDA.NET> wrote

>I have some questions regarding eye ring/crescents on female
>Mourning and MacGillivray's Warblers.  Does anyone know of
>an instance(s) of female MacGillivray's Warbler having a
>complete eye ring?

Yes. Our banding station banded one quite a while back (in the fall).
Don't know if anyone took pictures, but I can check. This was in
Albuquerque, in the Rio Grande Valley.

- Larry

--
Rio Grande Bird Research, Inc. (Albuquerque, NM)
(An all-volunteer non-profit organization,
banding in the Middle Rio Grande Valley
since 1979)


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Subject: Re: Mystery duck
From: John Idzikowski <idzikoj(AT)UWM.EDU>
Date: 4 Jun 2004 9:34am

How about a female Red-crested Pochard-

http://www.naturfotogalerie.de/vogel/04/bilder/koe01.jpg

John Idzikowski, Milwaukee

----- Original Message -----
From: "Floyd Hayes" <floyd_hayes(AT)YAHOO.COM>
To: <BIRDWG01(AT)LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 8:37 AM
Subject: [BIRDWG01] Mystery duck

> What's this weird little duck?
>
> http://www.geocities.com/floyd_hayes/mysteryduck
>
> Floyd Hayes
> Angwin, CA
>
>
>
>
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Friends.  Fun.  Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger.
> http://messenger.yahoo.com/


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Subject: Re: Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler questions
From: Jocelyn Hudon <Jocelyn.Hudon(AT)GOV.AB.CA>
Date: 4 Jun 2004 10:54am

Cliff,

Sorry to bring up the H word, but based on mounting evidence, including reports
of individuals with intermediate characteristics at the Inglewood Bird
Observatory (in Calgary, Alberta), it is presumed that the two species
occasionally hybridize in west-central Alberta. We shall be undertaking some
work on this problem shortly.

Cheers,

Jocelyn Hudon, Ph.D.
Curator of Ornithology
Provincial Museum of Alberta 

-----Original Message-----
From: Cliff and Lisa Weisse [mailto:october(AT)IDA.NET]
Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 10:20 AM
To: BIRDWG01(AT)LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [BIRDWG01] Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler questions

I have some questions regarding eye ring/crescents on female
Mourning and MacGillivray's Warblers.  Does anyone know of
an instance(s) of female MacGillivray's Warbler having a
complete eye ring?  What about a narrow (narrower than eye
crescents on typical Macs) eye ring with very small breaks,
visible only at very close range, front and rear (one birder
in eastern ID reports finding several such birds over the
past five or six years)?  I've found conflicting evidence
regarding complete eye rings on female Mourning Warblers but
I've concluded that it is possible.  Any thoughts on
possibility/probability of a complete whitish eye ring on
first spring or adult female MOWAs would be appreciated.

The reason for these questions is a bird seen in eastern
Idaho on 5/31 that fit female MacGillivray's Warbler in
plumage and structure except for the presence of a narrow,
complete whitish eye ring.  The bird was seen at close
range, 25-35 feet, and from opposite angles, by two
observers.  Connecticut and Nashville Warblers were ruled
out but plumage, structure, and/or behavior.  Unfortunately
the bird did not vocalize.

Thanks in advance.

Cliff

Cliff and Lisa Weisse
Island Park, ID
october(AT)ida.net


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Subject: Re: strange Orchard Oriole
From: Jocelyn Hudon <Jocelyn.Hudon(AT)GOV.AB.CA>
Date: 4 Jun 2004 11:04am

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Kent,
=20
This qualifies as an incomplete (non-melanic) xanthochroic individual =
that is missing melanin pigmentation on part of its head revealing the =
underlying (normally-concealed) yellow, carotenoid-based, pigmentation.
=20
Cheers,
=20
Jocelyn Hudon, Ph.D.
Curator of Ornithology
Provincial Museum of Alberta=20

-----Original Message-----
From: Kent Nickell [mailto:mountainpath(AT)MCHSI.COM]
Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 4:36 AM
To: BIRDWG01(AT)LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [BIRDWG01] strange Orchard Oriole

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone else has seen a bird similar to this.  =
It looks basically like an adult male Icterus spurius but it has a =
striking amount of bright yellow on the head.  I was wondering if it =
could be molting into adult plumage but apparently it has been coming to =
a feeder in northeast Iowa for a month without noticing a plumage =
change.  Also it was apparently seen for a short time at the same feeder =
last year.  Others have suggested a possible pigment anomaly especially =
since there is no black in the lores.  Any thoughts here?.   Have a few =
photos at http://www.greenbackedheron.com/id.cfm?setid=3D1089.    =
Cheers, =20
=20
Kent Nickell
Waterloo, Iowa

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Subject: FW: strange Orchard Oriole
From: Jocelyn Hudon <Jocelyn.Hudon(AT)GOV.AB.CA>
Date: 4 Jun 2004 11:14am

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Sorry, I should have said partial (locally restricted) rather than =
incomplete (i.e, incomplete expression with some melanin pigmentation). =
The whole nomenclature of plumage color aberrations in birds is such a =
mess anyway, with no relationship to the underlying cause. =20
=20
Sincerely,
=20
Jocelyn
=20
-----Original Message-----
From: Jocelyn Hudon=20
Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 12:04 PM
To: BIRDWG01(AT)LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: RE: [BIRDWG01] strange Orchard Oriole

Kent,
=20
This qualifies as an incomplete (non-melanic) xanthochroic individual =
that is missing melanin pigmentation on part of its head revealing the =
underlying (normally-concealed) yellow, carotenoid-based, pigmentation.
=20
Cheers,
=20
Jocelyn Hudon, Ph.D.
Curator of Ornithology
Provincial Museum of Alberta=20

-----Original Message-----
From: Kent Nickell [mailto:mountainpath(AT)MCHSI.COM]
Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 4:36 AM
To: BIRDWG01(AT)LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [BIRDWG01] strange Orchard Oriole

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone else has seen a bird similar to this.  =
It looks basically like an adult male Icterus spurius but it has a =
striking amount of bright yellow on the head.  I was wondering if it =
could be molting into adult plumage but apparently it has been coming to =
a feeder in northeast Iowa for a month without noticing a plumage =
change.  Also it was apparently seen for a short time at the same feeder =
last year.  Others have suggested a possible pigment anomaly especially =
since there is no black in the lores.  Any thoughts here?.   Have a few =
photos at http://www.greenbackedheron.com/id.cfm?setid=3D1089.    =
Cheers, =20
=20
Kent Nickell
Waterloo, Iowa

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Subject: Re: Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler questions
From: "J. Harry Krueger" <hkrueger(AT)cableone.net>
Date: 4 Jun 2004 12:08pm

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I very much appreciated Jocelyn Hudson's post in response to Cliff Weisse's
question re: Mourning vs.MacGillivray's Warbler.   As background, I am the
other person that saw the bird in question referred to by Cliff.
A question that I have for Jocelyn is what have these "intermediate
characteristics" that you refer to been and how many individuals showing
these have been identified in hand, and finally, on basis was that
identification made?  Obviously, the very rare isolated individual of any
species can exhibit aberrant characteristics that are not to be expected (or
used) in a normal identification process, and most probably are not the
result of the "H" word...Here I'm especially referring to the bird reported
by Larry Gorbet, a MAWA banded in the Rio Grande Valley, that showed a
complete eyering.

If adult female MOWA can sometimes show a complete eyering and the instances
of any MAWA not showing the characteristic eye crescents are for all intents
and purposes statistically negligible, logically (Thank you, Mr. Spock),
what is one to do with any sighting of a narrow eyeringed, non-vocalizing
Oporornis that behaviorally and structurally fits perfectly into
philidelphia/tolmiei? If a hybrid is the offspring of genetically dissimilar
parents of different species, yet that offspring does not show obvious
visual dissimilarity with one parent, do we now necessitate DNA testing to
ascertain purity of lineage or can measurements in hand provide the
necessary differentiation?

Harry Krueger
Boise, ID
208-407-2786
hkrueger(AT)cableone.net

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Subject: Re: Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler questions
From: Jocelyn Hudon <Jocelyn.Hudon(AT)GOV.AB.CA>
Date: 4 Jun 2004 12:25pm

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Harry,
=20
The characteristics in question were mainly mensural ones, dimensions =
reported in Pyle as differing between the two species, with little or no =
overlap, of birds in the hand. The birds were seen in the fall, and I =
believe most were immatures (HY's). I'll get the specifics, and will =
report, once I get back from the field in about four weeks.
=20
Sincerely,
=20
Jocelyn

-----Original Message-----
From: J. Harry Krueger [mailto:hkrueger(AT)CABLEONE.NET]
Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 12:58 PM
To: BIRDWG01(AT)LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [BIRDWG01] Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler questions

=20
I very much appreciated Jocelyn Hudson's post in response to Cliff =
Weisse's question re: Mourning vs.MacGillivray's Warbler.   As =
background, I am the other person that saw the bird in question referred =
to by Cliff.
A question that I have for Jocelyn is what have these "intermediate =
characteristics" that you refer to been and how many individuals showing =
these have been identified in hand, and finally, on basis was that =
identification made?  Obviously, the very rare isolated individual of =
any species can exhibit aberrant characteristics that are not to be =
expected (or used) in a normal identification process, and most probably =
are not the result of the "H" word...Here I'm especially referring to =
the bird reported by Larry Gorbet, a MAWA banded in the Rio Grande =
Valley, that showed a complete eyering.
=20
If adult female MOWA can sometimes show a complete eyering and the =
instances of any MAWA not showing the characteristic eye crescents are =
for all intents and purposes statistically negligible, logically (Thank =
you, Mr. Spock), what is one to do with any sighting of a narrow =
eyeringed, non-vocalizing Oporornis that behaviorally and structurally =
fits perfectly into philidelphia/tolmiei? If a hybrid is the offspring =
of genetically dissimilar parents of different species, yet that =
offspring does not show obvious visual dissimilarity with one parent, do =
we now necessitate DNA testing to ascertain purity of lineage or can =
measurements in hand provide the necessary differentiation?=20
=20
Harry Krueger
Boise, ID
208-407-2786
hkrueger(AT)cableone.net =20

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Subject: Re: Mystery duck
From: Floyd Hayes <floyd_hayes(AT)YAHOO.COM>
Date: 4 Jun 2004 1:11pm

I initially concluded the duck was a worn and faded
Bufflehead. Bill and body size looked too small for
Ruddy Duck. Later, after examining field guides at
home, I became intrigued with its resemblance to a
Smew, but the dark throat and breast band didn't fit.
Can a Smew look like this? Just want to be sure it's
not being overlooked as a possibility.

Here is a summary of 11 responses thus far:

* five Bufflehead (no agreement on age or sex)
* one Bufflehead or Bufflehead X Black Scoter
* one semi-albinistic Ruddy Duck
* one Bufflehead X Ruddy Duck
* one Black Scoter
* one Smew
* one Red-crested Pochard

The photos are at:

http://www.geocities.com/floyd_hayes/mysteryduck

Beware that Geocities limits the number of hits per
hour; if you don't get through, try again later.

Floyd Hayes
Angwin, CA

__________________________________
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Friends.  Fun.  Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger.
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Subject: Re: Mystery duck
From: GreatGrayOwl(AT)AOL.COM
Date: 4 Jun 2004 2:28pm

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Salutations from one who enjoys grotty-plumaged birds,

Yes, I DO enjoy those ugly summer gulls that are bleached and worn to, well,
you know where to.  This duck does not seem all that different in plumage from
those ugly summer gulls, except, of course, that it's a duck.  So, all the
extra white (at least, I think that it's "extra") in the plumage is possibly
due
to extreme wear and/or bleaching.

Having never seen Smew, I'd be leery of taking my word for it, but I don't
think that the duck is referable to that species.  The bill looks too
deep-based
for Smew and perfect for Bufflehead (or, as I've seen in print once,
Buffalo-headed Duck - I kid you not).  Also, the placement of the white in the
wing
suggests a trailing-edge patch, not a leading-edge patch.  Obviously, any white
in the wing would rule out Ruddy Duck.  Of course, the bird is in absolutely
grotty plumage, so it is somewhat hard to be sure of what feathers are where on
the beast, so my arguments could be entirely wrong.

Tony Leukering
Brighton, CO

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Subject: Re: Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler questions
From: GreatGrayOwl(AT)AOL.COM
Date: 4 Jun 2004 2:36pm

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Hi all:

I have two points in response to Harry's message and I hope that Harry takes
the first in the non-confrontational vein in which I give it:

       1)  MAWA exhibit complete eye rings in many plumages, because MAWA is
Magnolia Warbler - I point this out because if one is going to use
abbreviations, particularly standard Banding Lab four-letter codes, in posts to
listserves, one should introduce them first, so as to eliminate possible
confusion (Mac
Warbler is MGWA); though I knew what Harry was writing about, the "MAWA" did
throw me for a small loop

       2) Jay Pitoccelli did a PhD on the species pair that would probably be
pertinent here, but I do not have it on hand, nor do I have immediate access
to the BNA account that I think was also authored by Jay -- so, anyone that
does have such on hand, any mention of the H word?

Sincerely,

Tony Leukering
Brighton, CO

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Subject: Re: [BIRDWGO1] Mourning vs MacGillivray's Warbler
          questions
From: Tjheindel(AT)AOL.COM
Date: 4 Jun 2004 3:21pm

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Hi all,
       Pitocchelli's BNA account on Mourning Warbler (No. 72, 1993) states
"May hybridize with MacGillivray's Warblers in central Alberta (4 citations) ,
but hybrid nature of specimens and photographs doubtful (3 citations). Cox
(1973. Hybridization between Mourning and MacGillivray's Warbler. Auk 90:190)
collected specimens (now at San Diego Natural History Museum) . They were
viewed
by Pitocchelli (Phil Unit, pers. comm.) but he did not discussed whether they
were hybrids or not in the BNA account. We banded a male Oporornis in May in CA
(looked like a Mourning with 2-3 faint specks in the eyering) and four of the
measurements (wing chord, tail, flat wing minus tail, tail extension beyond
under tail coverts) were in the overlap zone. Pitocchelli states that plumage
characters are far more variable for MOWA than for MGWA. Because these taxa do
not hybridize in large areas, the extreme birds are considered simply within
the normal range of variability for each taxon and until both taxa are
thoroughly studied the range of variation within each will remain unknown.

Jo Heindel
Big Pine, CA

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Subject: Hybrid Mac/Mourning
From: SGMlod(AT)AOL.COM
Date: 4 Jun 2004 7:17pm

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Greetings All

How apropos this discussion is.

I was just birding eastern WA and saw an oporornis at stunningly close range.
The right side of the face had absolutely no eyering. The lores were blackish
(more like Mac, but within range of Mourning). The lower portion of the bib
had a black band, much like a male Mourning, but it was moderately scaled with
gray. The undertail coverts were appropriate for Mourning in length. But....
On the left side of the face, there were two thick but very short white eye
arcs (about 1/3 the length of a Mac's eye arcs).

The most parsimonious answer to this bird's "ID" would seem a hybrid
MacGillivray's X Mourning.

Any thoughts?

Steven Mlodinow

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Subject: Likely, not parsimonious
From: SGMlod(AT)AOL.COM
Date: 4 Jun 2004 7:22pm

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Sorry, in my previous post please substitute "likely" for "parsimonious"

A brains spasm had occurred

Cheers
SteveM

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Subject: Mourning & MacGillivray's hybrid
From: Tjheindel(AT)AOL.COM
Date: 5 Jun 2004 8:36am

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Hi all,
I posted the below yesterday and it didn't show up today. I will report and=20
hope that the list does not get two copies. Jo
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=20
Pitocchelli's BNA account on Mourning Warbler (No. 72, 1993) states "May=20
hybridize with MacGillivray's Warblers in central Alberta (4 citations) , bu=
t=20
hybrid nature of specimens and photographs doubtful (3 citations). Cox (1973=
.=20
Hybridization between Mourning and MacGillivray's Warbler. Auk 90:190) colle=
cted=20
specimens (now at San Diego Natural History Museum) . They were viewed by=20
Pitocchelli (Phil Unit, pers. comm.) but he did not discussed whether they w=
ere=20
hybrids or not in the BNA account. We banded a male Oporornis in May in CA=20
(looked like a Mourning with 2-3 faint specks in the eyering) and four of th=
e=20
measurements (wing chord, tail, flat wing minus tail, tail extension beyond=20=
under=20
tail coverts) were in the overlap zone. Pitocchelli states that plumage=20
characters are far more variable for MOWA than for MGWA. Because these taxa=20=
do not=20
hybridize in large areas, the extreme birds are considered simply within the=
=20
normal range of variability for each taxon and until both taxa are thoroughl=
y=20
studied the range of variation within each will remain unknown.=20

Jo Heindel
Big Pine, CA

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Subject: Re: Mystery duck
From: Bruce Deuel <bkrdeuel(AT)SNOWCREST.NET>
Date: 5 Jun 2004 7:19pm

Hi all,
Put me strongly in the Bufflehead with faded plumage camp, which is what
popped into my head when I saw the pictures, and before I read what anyone
else thought.  I think this kind of thing happens a lot when a bird is
injured - the molt doesn't proceed properly and we get these badly faded
feathers.
Cheers,
Bruce Deuel
Red Bluff, CA
----- Original Message -----
From: "Floyd Hayes" <floyd_hayes(AT)YAHOO.COM>
To: <BIRDWG01(AT)LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 4:11 PM
Subject: Re: [BIRDWG01] Mystery duck

> I initially concluded the duck was a worn and faded
> Bufflehead. Bill and body size looked too small for
> Ruddy Duck. Later, after examining field guides at
> home, I became intrigued with its resemblance to a
> Smew, but the dark throat and breast band didn't fit.
> Can a Smew look like this? Just want to be sure it's
> not being overlooked as a possibility.
>
> Here is a summary of 11 responses thus far:
>
> * five Bufflehead (no agreement on age or sex)
> * one Bufflehead or Bufflehead X Black Scoter
> * one semi-albinistic Ruddy Duck
> * one Bufflehead X Ruddy Duck
> * one Black Scoter
> * one Smew
> * one Red-crested Pochard
>
> The photos are at:
>
> http://www.geocities.com/floyd_hayes/mysteryduck
>
> Beware that Geocities limits the number of hits per
> hour; if you don't get through, try again later.
>
> Floyd Hayes
> Angwin, CA
>
>
>
>
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