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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Recent content by David Lukas

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    Downy or Hairy?

    Despite the white outer tail feathers, this sure looks like a Downy to me based on its small-billed look. I'd have a hard time calling this a Hairy. David Lukas
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    I have no idea! (Nor-Cal tiny enigma)

    These are Bushtits. And they are distinctive in being very small, very active, and uniformly gray. And they spend the winter in noisy, constantly twittering, constantly moving flocks of 10-20 birds. Your photos also capture their acrobatic lifestyle. They are usually so busy in their own little...
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    Help!!!

    You have two kinds of jays in your area and both have that long tail and overall blue coloration but they're easy to tell apart. The scrub-jay has contrastingly white underparts and that distinctive gray saddle across their shoulders. This is the common, year round jay to as high as Nevada City...
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    Mystery Hawks (id Help...please)

    These appear to be juvenile Cooper's Hawks based on their rounded tails and large protruding heads. They will often show white "fluffy" undertail coverts that wrap up over the sides of the tail to create (in a side view) the appearance of a harrier-like white tail base. David Lukas WhatBird.com
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    Feather identification

    There is a book "Bird Tracks and Sign" published by Stackpole. See if you can find that. David Lukas WhatBird.com
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    Cooper's Hawk?

    Things that would put it into the Cooper's camp for me include the square head and hackles, tawny neck, rufous edgings on back feathers, position of eye towards front of face (instead of appearing centrally located), and rather sparse streaks on underparts. To my eye the legs look relatively...
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    Help with ids please...

    Your photos show some good marks for the White-throated Sparrow (and we just had our first yardbird yesterday so we've been working these marks really hard too). Your bird has a strong dark malar stripe contrasting with the white on the throat. It also shows the characteristic yellow lore spot...
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    Sandpipers to ID!

    The gull looks very good for a California Gull, it has the right gray color on the upperparts, right head shape, and right bill shape (and has the right mark on the lower mandible). Hard to imagine what else it would be. And I'd guess I'd lean towards Western Sandpiper on the first photo, but...
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    Bird of Prey ID Help (pic)

    One final tidbit that can be gleaned from your photo is that this bird is an immature because it has a clear white chest ("medallion") and a prominent dark belly band. Adults develop a tan wash on their medallion and start to lose some of the definition in their belly band, the result is that...
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    Purple Finch??

    Here are some features to look for in helping identify a Purple Finch. On this particular individual the best field mark is the striking face pattern (including a strong malar stripe) and the overall "brown" tone. The cone shaped bill immediately rules out the House Finch which has a curved bill...
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    Peregrine or Coopers?

    The bird in the original photos is a sharp-shinned hawk because it has a small round head and lacks the square-headed look (and hackles) of a Cooper's. It also has a large eye centrally located in its face. The streaking on the underparts and the thin legs support the conclusion that this is a...
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    What Sparrow is this.

    Marvin, I thought you might appreciate some feedback on the features that would help you identify this bird as a Chipping Sparrow. First of all it has unstreaked underparts, a nicely patterned ear patch/buffy eyeline, and strong buffy-white wingbars. Your bird is similar to a Field Sparrow...
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    Anyone recognize this bird?

    I think the orange shoulder patches indicate it's a first year male (i.e. still a youngster but already developing hints of the adult male coloration). David Lukas www.percevia.com
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    Hermit or Swainson's Thrush?

    I'm not going to claim that I know what this bird is, but here are some features that I notice: there appears to be a contrast between gray flanks and slightly rufous wings; the breast spots are fairly large and conspicuous; the eyering is fairly muted; and there appears to be a dark smudge...
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    Sparrow Id

    When learning to identify North American sparrows it helps to divide them into two broad groups: those with streaked underparts vs. those that are unstreaked. Your bird clearly falls into the first group, and is this category the default bird is always Song Sparrow and your first question should...
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