Please Help ID (1 Viewer)

[Chaiyan]

I thought and still think it's a Tyrannid Kingbird with such thick bill base, straight culmen, and rather hooked bill point. Grey Kingbird would fit the time and place taken.

 

[Bluetail]

I think you've got it, Chaiyan.

Oops, sorry - I see Tim got there first.

Jason

 

[Michael Frankis]

I'm not convinced -
1. The pic was taken 17 JANUARY - Gray Kingbird is a summer visitor in Florida, according to Sibley & NG
2. The bill looks too stout - of the pics in Sibley, it compares better with Thick-billed Kingbird (Mexican, no Florida records)

Michael

 

[janine13]

Based on bill and posture, my vote is still common grackle, or maybe female boat-tail.

 

[Chaiyan]

"1. The pic was taken 17 JANUARY - Gray Kingbird is a summer visitor in Florida, according to Sibley & NG"

Take a look at the link below on 2nd paragraph telling that the species winters in south Florida so I guess it'd not be impossible to find it abit further north.
http://www.wildflorida.org/bba/grki.htm

"2. The bill looks too stout - of the pics in Sibley, it compares better with Thick-billed Kingbird (Mexican, no Florida records)"

To my eyes, both Sibley's and 3rd Ng FGs illustrate the bill of Thick-billed Kingbird (THKI) as curved culmen with very thick bill whereas GRKI's is straight and slimmer.

GRKI http://www.ecoventures-travel.com/vso/VARCOM/photo gallery/gray_kingbird.htm also note the date this bird was found in Virginia.

THKI http://www.southwestbirders.com/kingbird.htm

 

[Edward woodwood]

Gray Kingbird still looks fine to me too

 

[crispycreme]

It's not a grackle, imo. Grackles, particularly Boat-tails and Great-tails, have larger lower mandibles in proportion to their uppers (similar to Right Wales, to use an odd comparison). This.. thing.. is either a Kingbird or a Corvid of some sort. I looked at all the Think-billed pics on the net I could find (and there aren't many), and that seems plausible, but I can't shake the feeling that it's a Jay of some sort. The bill is quite similar to a Scrub Jay's.

 

[Grousemore]

To me it's a Corvid,but the size said to be Robin sized makes it a Jay,in which case the tail is too short.
Hope this helps!

 

[Michael Frankis]

Back to escaped cagebird - there's plenty of them about. And for some strange reason, bird keepers seem to like birds with off-beam plumage patterns like this.

If it is an escape, then the World's your oyster for selecting what it might be.

Michael

 

[Edward woodwood]

I'll have to disagree Michael

the bill is fine for (Gray) Kingbird, with that slight hook tip and the location and time are ok too as Chaiyan has also mentioned. The impression of Thick-billed is created by the slight angle of the head and even still, it's not quite thick enough......

 

[Bluetail]

If you haven't already, try these for comparison:

http://makeashorterlink.com/?V35F21D57
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F54F43D57

Jason

 

[Andrew Rowlands]

If you haven't already, try these for comparison:

http://makeashorterlink.com/?V35F21D57
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F54F43D57

Jason

Same pics that I Googled last night - sure looks more like Gray than Thick-billed.

Andy.

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Hi all, I do not have much experience in american birds,
but I would second the Gray Kingbird-theory

Look at the throat, that is not relly snowy-white like the other white feathers of this bird, but sort of creamy-white-would fit to the Kingbird.
Also the pattern of some of the coloured tail feathers would fit to the Kingbird, but not to any jay being likely there...

Jörn

 

[thomasd]

Thanks

Thanks to everyone that replyed
I was back at refuge sunday and saw the lillte white bird again and thought you all would like to know and see him again

 

[streatham]

i'm no expert on florida birds but i've never seen a kingbird wade through water also the darker areas on the face seem to reach as far as the malar region and streaking of darker feathers on belly all seem to rule out gray kingbird- florida scrub-jay anyone?

 

[gthang]

OK, i've seen a Boat-tailed grackle last fall, and now that i've correctly identified that bird, the description seems to fit this "UWB" (Unidentified Wading Bird). So i'm going with female Boat-tailed, with delayed/leucistic/ablinistic plummage.

EDIT to Thread starter: Here's a grackle picture that you might want to compare it with.
http://www.birdforum.net/bird_view.php?bid=1427
the black eyes, bill shape, and dark feathers in certain areas indicate a boat-tailed grackle.

Here's another Boat-tailed grackle, taken by my father.
http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=5957

BTW, if it's not a boat-tailed grackle, then it's not. Don't flame me just 'cause i'm a n00b.

Also, Boat-Tailed Grackles in the Gulf Coast and Florida have dark eyes, rather than yellow, according to Sibley.

 

[Warbler]

From the first picture I get the impression that it is some kingbird or large flycatcher, but in the other picture (where the bird is wading) it looks exactly like a Clark's Nutcracker. To me it doesn't look like a blackbird or grackle at all. I would agree that it could be a Scrub Jay (the stance it is taking in that last photo is characteristic).

 

[CJW]

I was back at refuge sunday and saw the lillte white bird again and thought you all would like to know and see him again

That picture's buggered-up the "kingbird theorists" then.....

 

[Fulmar]

For me, Boat-tailed Grackle: the walking in the water like it's doing in the second picture is typical for those Grackles as I know them, the body and jizz are OK for me too, and the black spots all over suggest that it normally would be a totally dark bird. Also the tail looks keeled to me.

Peter

 

[dacol]

after a proper look Michael! I reckon Grey Kingbird

bill is spot on and location is fine

???????

I agree with Tim. The bird seems like a leucistic Grey Kingbird.
Bill shape alone rules out all other suggestions leaving only Kingbirds in my opinion. The eye color is also right and what seems to be a vestige of the kingbird's black mask (at the base of the bill of the bird in the photo) also suggests Grey Kingbird.


Dalcio