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NE Mexican flycatcher ID help (1 Viewer)

Peacefrog2

Peacefrog2

Well-known member
I would like to ask for help identifying the following two flycatchers that I photographed last week in Mexico.

The first bird was photographed in Tamaulipas near sea level:

http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/image/117090500
http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/image/117090501

The second bird was photographed in Nuevo Leon at about 4500 feet elevation:

http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/image/117090489

I know the photos are rather limited and positive ID may not be possible from what I have shown here but I would like to try to narrow them down as much as possible and I am interested in the reasoning behind the ID’s probably even more than the actual ID of the birds.

Thanks,

Greg
 
Tero,

Thanks for your comment. My feeling is that it may not be a wood-pewee because to me it seems to lack the long primary projection and smudged under-tail coverts expected for pewees. It also didn’t seem to have the dark vest of the pewees when I saw the bird in the field but that could be just my personal interpretation.

My initial thoughts were Dusky or Hammonds due to the narrow bill but neither of those really matched to my satisfaction with the descriptions in the books I have at hand. Both are on the area checklist for El Cielo Biosphere though so it seems they are expected in the area.

Greg
 
Your photos are fine, wait for the real experts! Lack of eye ring does not fit your suggestions.
 
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I am not really convinced that there is a lack of eye-ring. I actually think the bird has a somewhat narrow complete eye-ring that is difficult to see as would be expected for Dusky or Hammonds. Of course that is just my personal interpretation. I am looking forward to additional feedback though.

To me the apparent tail length and short primary projection seem to indicate Dusky Flycatcher though I am a bit troubled by the lack of black on the lower mandible.

Greg
 
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Dusky is my thought on this one. I feel pretty confident that it is not a pewee. Hammonds would be more likely according the the local checklist though IIRC.

Greg
 
Thanks for the links. I find it somewhat difficult to compare photos of birds in fresh plumage on their breeding grounds to worn birds on or travelling to their wintering grounds but there are certainly a lot of similarities between the Dusky Flycatchers you linked and the first of the birds I photographed.

The things that lead me to Dusky are the longish narrow beak, the short primary projection and longish looking tail.

Hammonds would be the more expected bird for the area but it should have a longer primary projection and a shorter looking tail. I also am under the impression that there should be more extensive black on the lower mandible (which this bird appears to have none of).

The eye-ring looks like a surprisingly good match to the Dusky photos you linked to, I actually didn’t expect the match to be so good.

I am leaning more and more toward Dusky.

Thanks again for your help.

Greg
 
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