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Need help identifying bird (1 Viewer)

Hi, I recently posted an image of a Flycatcher in my gallery. I was going to enter it in the competition but I cannot ID the bird. I think I have it narrowed down between an Acadian Flycatcher and Alder Flycatcher. All the documentation I have read states that telling which one is very difficult. If anyone could help with the ID of this bird I would appreciate it. I do not want to enter it under the wrong ID but I may not have a choice.

PLEASE HELP ID ME

Thanks for any help
 
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It's a few years since I've been to N.Am but I'm tempted to say that this is an Eastern Pewee rather than any Empidonax flycatcher due to the extensive dark bill tip below coupled with a poor eye-ring (mainly around the rear of the eye), heavy dark breast patches (definitely wrong for Acadian), dark lores (most Empids are paler), pale tips on the lesser coverts (as well as median and Greaters), pale tips on the greater coverts bleeding back into the feathers along the outer edges and quite short looking legs.

Unfortunately it isn't possible to see the wing structure or full pattern of the undertail coverts which may have helped. perhaps a member from America can comment.

Spud
 
Okay I thought I had it narrowed down

logos said:
It's a few years since I've been to N.Am but I'm tempted to say that this is an Eastern Pewee rather than any Empidonax flycatcher due to the extensive dark bill tip below coupled with a poor eye-ring (mainly around the rear of the eye), heavy dark breast patches (definitely wrong for Acadian), dark lores (most Empids are paler), pale tips on the lesser coverts (as well as median and Greaters), pale tips on the greater coverts bleeding back into the feathers along the outer edges and quite short looking legs.

Unfortunately it isn't possible to see the wing structure or full pattern of the undertail coverts which may have helped. perhaps a member from America can comment.

Spud

After comparing my shot with the two flycatchers and the peewee, I do think you are correct. Unless someone else can show otherwise, thats the way Im going. Thanks.
 
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I think you should have stuck with 'Empidonax sp. Contopus flycatchers tend to be brownish, capped and crested, dark-faced birds with hardly a hint of yellow under. I will concede however, that I have never seen a flycatcher this close!
 
Charles Harper said:
I think you should have stuck with 'Empidonax sp. Contopus flycatchers tend to be brownish, capped and crested, dark-faced birds with hardly a hint of yellow under. I will concede however, that I have never seen a flycatcher this close!

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying anyone is right or wrong. I just plain don't know. The only deciding factor I went by was this PeeWee Image . You need to click the image for a larger view. Now that you have said something Im doubtful again mainly because my bird has a more distinctive eyering. When I looked at the image I was going by the dark area on the bottom tip of the beak, which is very visible on my bird. As far as I know, flycatchers are the same way. I'm still open for suggestions. I can always change the label.
 
[i][b]Empidonax[/b][/i]

I think the bird is an empidonax flycatcher. These are very difficult to tell apart. Did you see my thread/posts in "Ringing and Banding", "Banding in Missouri"?

Sorry, I can't help on a more definitive identification.

Larry
 
I'm trying to post the Peewee image you referenced-- don't know if it worked-- it may be too big.

In any case, compare the two: The pewee is brown-- dark brown cap down to eye level, brown median and greater covert tips (the wingbars). Lighter brownish under-- even the throat is pale brown and no hint of yellow, no eyering at all!

Your excellent photo shows a thin, distinct white eyering; cream/white wingbars, an overall grey bird--back and head (without the capped appearance) and a very pale wash of yellow under and on the side.

The coloring of the lower mandible seems to be the only thing in common, and that feature-- amount of dark vs yellow-- is not only quite variable but also exists on all the Contopus and Empidonax flycatchers. Like Larry, I am not about to identify it to species, but as I said, would label it Empidonax sp.
 

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Can someone confirm then that any Empids ever have pale tipped lesser coverts like the mystery bird as I thought this was unique to pewees? I'm not sure that the eye-ring is at all wrong for a pewee (which admittedly are somewhat variable) and all of the empids with such weak eyerings (Alder, Willow and perhaps some Acadian) should have much less (if any) dark on the underside of the bill.

I'd be reluctant to judge structure of the head based on just one image and note that Sibley does illustrate Eastern Pewee with yellow washed underparts.

Which species of empid could show the combination of seemingly contradictory features exhibited by this bird - and where are the pale lores?

Just curious and keen to learn

Spud
 
Just been checking some maps. Although obviously not an exact science, based on date and location the only real options should be Willow or Acadian Flycatcher or Eastern Pewee.

I think Acadian can be ruled out due to details mentioned above (especially the very dark breast patches). The bird must be an adult according to date.

I don't like identifying things just through a process of elimination but there seems little alternative in this case.

Any further thoughts anyone?

Spud
 
Ah! ignore all that stuff about dates, I've just remembered that in America the month comes before the day in dating. therefore 09/06/03 means the 6th of September (correct?)

That said I presume it's an adult due to the whiteness of the wingbars and is in fresh looking plumage so seems to be one of the species that moults before migration. Is this so?

If so this should narrow it down to Acadian or perhaps Least if it is one of the expected eastern empids but I don't think it's either of those for various reasons...

Can someone in N. Am construct an argument based on age/plumage freshness to nail this one? When do pewee's moult?

Still keen to learn, surely these things can't be as difficult as is often assumed if all of the available evidence is weighed.

Spud
 
Sorry, can't go any further than I did, and I've been away a long time, too. I like the idea of the pale-tipped lesser coverts, Spud, hadn't heard or don't remember that-- maybe it is definitive-- certainly not illustrated on Sibley's empids, is it?

Looking back at Widowmaker's shot again, are those coverts fresh? Ends look a little raggedy, but then it may be wear and tear between moult and Sept. 6th. But that doesn't really help us I suppose until we find out when pewees moult.

Still doesn't look like a pewee to me, though, sorry--- though lord knows I've been wrong often enough at BF!
 
Hey, Widowmaker and Logos. Sorry, I've been out of town, and in the meantime I finally got an answer on the moult question from an expert, which carries some new information for both of us, I think-- he took a look at the image and yes, he agrees with your Eastern Pewee. I quote:

"The empids that have bills that long and wide, Alder/
Willow/ Acadian, do not have 1/3 of the lower mandible
dark tipped (occasionally have very end dusky) but
Eastern Wood-Pewee does. The gap seems fleshy enough
to indicate a juvenile? Of these 3 species and
wood-pewee, only Acadian molts within USA before
migrating. All of these 4 species USUALLY have buff
wing bars as juveniles, and all 4 species have these
until spring. However, juvenile wood-pewees can have
bright white wing-bars but usually the upper is not as
wide as the lower. Only wood-pewees have white fringed
lesser coverts especially as juvenile; empids are grey
(adult)or buff (juvenile). All adults except Acadian
Flycatcher should be highly worn by September and on
empids this means that the breasts should be very
plain without the high contrasting "vest" and
yellowish vent, flanks and lower belly displayed by this
individual (very pewee-like), and wing bars reduced and
showing wear. The exception would be Acadian, of course,
which in fresh plumage should have a complete slightly
yellowish eye-ring and more distinct pale lores and
less "vested" appearance. Adult wood-pewees in
particular would have very little wing-bars left and
these would not be pure white (adults in fresh plumage
are usually off-white). The most common of these
species in the east during Sept is Eastern Wood-Pewee.
All 4 species can have little or no eye-ring but the
almost totally dark lores would be well-worn adult
empid or pewee. As stated, a well-worn adult empid
would be plain breasted. (However, spring Willows can
be quite dark on the lores). I cannot see the
"smudges" on undertail coverts of pewee, but these can
be difficult to see especially at the given angle. The
throat is very white for pewee. The head shape looks
pewee and the overall length (even with back end
chopped off) looks longish (pewee-like). I believe it is a juvenile Eastern Wood-Pewee."

I stand corrected!
 
I guess I will have to concede to the majority opinion that the bird pictured is an Eastern Wood-Pewee. I had thought that the wide white wingbars, the over-all grayish color and the yellowish wash on the side-breast and flanks tended more to Willow/Alder Flycatcher. But then the discussion of the dark-tipped lower mandible and the white-fringed lesser coverts seem to point to the Eastern Wood-Pewee. *Sibley seems to be the only field guide that I have that even shows these fringes on the Eastern Wood-Pewee's lesser coverts!

Live and Learn!

Larry
 
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