[Art Thorn]

I have just returned from the Cancun area and saw several Kingbirds, either Tropical or Couch's. Is one more likely than the other in this area? I also saw something that looked like a Brewer's Blackbird, but had a dark eye, and meowed (VERY cat-like) at the beginning of each call. Probably common in the area, but I didn't get a Mexican bird book. Can anyone help?

[Tim Allwood]

Hi Art

spent a week there last year after the endems and I would think it was a Tropical as I'm fairly sure Couch's hasn't been recorded on Cancun yet.

As for Brewer's Blackbird.....how about Melodious Blackbird...?

[Dave B Smith]

Art,
You can only safely tell a Couch's from a Tropical Kingbird by call. Both are common in Cancun. The Tropical has a trilling call and sounds like it is running out of breath as it finishes the trill. Couch's bill is slightly smaller but I wouldn't try to distinguish them on this. Sorry.

The Yucatan has an endemic Black Catbird. First thing that came to mind when you said it meowed! Check out a picture of this on Google and let me know. It does have a dark eye.

[Tim Allwood]

Watcha Dave

very sorry...getting my Mexican locations muddled up. we were on Cozumel after the endems (not many of them in Cancun!). Only a few miles apart but the sea can make a world of difference to bird distibution

[Dave B Smith]

Tim,
Our posts overlapped and I hadn't seen yours till after I posted. While Howell doesn't give frequency info, his range map shows the entire Yucatan. But he does say that "in Yuc Peninsula, common in scrubby woodland of interior, Uncommon in arid beach scrub", so you've got a good point on Cancun. Tropical being more likely there.

Also, the Melodious Blackbird fits Arts description well for color / similarity to Brewer's but the call makes me think Black Catbird.

[cuckooroller]

Art,
I have looked closely at all of my pics of Melodious Blackbird (Fringillidae) and Black Catbird (Sturnidae). I could probably differentiate the two with a real good pic, but it is virtually impossible with just a description as they are so similiar. I guess the only valid differentiator here is the call, which, as Dave has mentioned, makes one think of the Black Catbird. By the way, both have dark irises, the Melodious's is generally black, while the Black Catbird's iris is so dark brown that I am sure it appears black on observation.

[Art Thorn]

Thanks for all of that everyone. I didn't hear the Kingbird's call, so that doesn't help me. Maybe Tropical is more likely there. They were very 'tame', not afraid to be within a few yards of me, but I'm sure that doesn't help either. I'll check out the two balckbirds, but the meow actually threw me off at first - I though there was a cat in the underbrush and the bird was responding. But watching the bird, I saw that it moved it's beak with every meow, and no cat in sight.

[Dave B Smith]

Art,
If you actually saw the bird calling you can also use his posture as part of the ID. The Melodious Blackbird typically sits in a very upright position and seems to rise up and down as it calls. See this photo of a Melodious Blackbird to see what I mean.

Your bird sounds more like the Black Catbird.

[cuckooroller]

Art,
Just so that you can compare and see just how tough these birds are to differentiate. Here's the Catbird.