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A few more from Mexico - Yucatan (1 Viewer)

Peter Withers

formerly tubbtubby
I have a few more that I am struggling to positively ID from my hols, any help is much appreciated.

Thanks!
 

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Cool photos- thanks for sharing!
From left to right:
Yes, Bananaquit
Clay-colored Robin
Great-tailed Grackle (juv?)
last two are either Yucatan or Golden-fronted Woodpeckers. Cant say for sure about the blurry one, the second looks like a juv Golden-fronted to me because the bill looks too long to be Yucatan.
 
I do not see Great-tailed Grackle in the third photo. Compare this photo of a juvenile Great-tailed Grackle: http://hawfinches.co.uk/Costa_Rica/Img44254-Great-tailed_Grackle-450.jpg

The bill looks too thick and the head too rounded for that species. The back also looks too be light blue colored to me, and I see no brownish coloration. I would guess some type of juvenile jay; but I do not know what the juvenile jays from Mexico look like, so could not guess as to species.

Best,
Jim
 
I do not see Great-tailed Grackle in the third photo. Compare this photo of a juvenile Great-tailed Grackle: http://hawfinches.co.uk/Costa_Rica/Img44254-Great-tailed_Grackle-450.jpg

The bill looks too thick and the head too rounded for that species. The back also looks too be light blue colored to me, and I see no brownish coloration. I would guess some type of juvenile jay; but I do not know what the juvenile jays from Mexico look like, so could not guess as to species.

Best,
Jim

The bird you linked is not a juv but a female, the pale yellow iris is an adult feature. The subject has a dark iris, good for a juvenile GT Grackle, the only grackle in Mexico. As Patrick stated, the bird is a juv Great-tailed Grackle.
Bill size/colours/shape and head shape look also fine to my eyes. Check this female for comparison:

http://www.birdpeeps.com/birding/files/images/grackel.preview.jpg

and also this good juv GT Grackle:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_1bgweA2dVeM/S...IeyNVaLOc/GreatTailedGrackleMGM1+juvenile.jpg

Cheers,
Eduardo
 
The bird you linked is not a juv but a female, the pale yellow iris is an adult feature.

Hi Eduardo,

I will defer to your greater experience with central american birds. However, the bird I linked to is described as a juvenile on the website: http://hawfinches.co.uk/Costa_Rica/Other_Sites.htm

Moreover, my Sibley's says that the "juvenile's iris [is] pale by October", so a pale iris is not exclusively an adult feature. And I was not suggesting the eye color difference was significant in any event.

It still looks quite odd to me and I am puzzled by the lack of any brownish tones (which all your links also show), but you usually know what you are talking about and I will admit I have limited experience with juvenile Great-tailed Grackles.

Best,
Jim
 
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It still looks quite odd to me and I am puzzled by the lack of any brownish tones (which all your links also show), but you usually know what you are talking about and I will admit I have limited experience with juvenile Great-tailed Grackles.

Hi Jim,

I agree with Eduardo. There are not really too many alternatives to Great-tailed Grackle - well, more like none. :-O I see brownish tones to the face and underparts of the mystery bird, and it has the face pattern of a non-adult-male Great-tailed and seemingly, an elongated, graduated tail of some sort. The lack of any real sheen to the upperparts and the dark iris suggest it is a rather young bird.

Chris
 
Well, I would like to know why they think it's a juv on that mere trip report of some visitors to CRica. For being semi bald or something? Once juvs perform their complete/almost complete post juvenile moult (like the subject apparently has), short after leaving the nest, it is better to age them using eye colour. Once this has changed... females are very confusing, males don't look as smart adults, being much less shiny and beautiful and can be told apart many times.
 
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