Juvenile Eastern Phoebe? (1 Viewer)

[Maia23]

Hi, if anyone can help with id? Shot north of Toronto, ( Georgian Bay shore, trailer park) Ontario, Thank you

 

[nartreb]

Eastern Phoebe yes. What makes you think it's a juvenile?

 

[THE_FERN]

I think immature. Empids rules out by (e.g.) all dark bill. Presume fully adult would be darker than this

 

[Maia23]

Eastern Phoebe yes. What makes you think it's a juvenile?

Thanks. There were few of them and all of them were thin and smaller , than I have seen before

 

[Ruff-Leg]

Thanks. There were few of them and all of them were thin and smaller , than I have seen before

Very nice first picture! Wear on the coverts makes me lean away from a juvie. I think they'd more even and fresh looking at this time. Not sure in your part of the world.

 

[KC Foggin]

Yup! Eastern Phoebe!

 

[nartreb]

Very nice first picture! Wear on the coverts makes me lean away from a juvie. I think they'd more even and fresh looking at this time. Not sure in your part of the world.

Thanks for confirming, it looked like wear to me too but I'm not much good at assessing feather-state (molt, etc.) In Ontario I'm guessing the first phoebes start fledging in mid-June, not much time for wear.

Thanks. There were few of them and all of them were thin and smaller , than I have seen before

Once they're out of the nest, they're about as big as they're going to get (except for some feathers still growing in, notably the tail). You can't age a bird by size (except for birds like geese and chickens that walk out of the nest). I think the impression of being slim is mostly due to the warm weather. Birds fluff their feathers to keep warm, and don't when it's warm outside. Being seen in a group this time of year is interesting, though. Maybe it was a family and some of them were juveniles, but I don't think the one in the photo is.

 

[Maia23]

I took one more picture