Some Florida Birds for confirmation (1 Viewer)

Douwe

Well-known member

• Sep 11, 2012

• #1

My brother went to Florida end August beginning of September 2012 and asked me to help identifying the birds he photographed; two provide me with some difficulty.
The first one seems to be a Rusty Blackbird (or is it Brewer's?), although the bill appears bolder/shorter than I would expect (maybe it is the angle).
The second I would think is a Whip-poor-will or a Chuck-will's-widow, although I favour the first as the chin looks dark and not rusty.

 

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K

Kratter

Well-known member

• Sep 11, 2012

• #2

Eastern Towhee (somehow you have artfully hidden most field marks, such as white belly, white spots in outer tail feathers, white primary bases, and almost all of the rufous flanks)
Common Nighthawk (they often sit on lines, Chucks and Whips do not)

Andy

Andy

 

ospr3y

Osprey Fanatic

• Sep 11, 2012

• #3

Kratter said:

Eastern Towhee (somehow you have artfully hidden most field marks, such as white belly, white spots in outer tail feathers, white primary bases, and almost all of the rufous flanks)
Common Nighthawk (they often sit on lines, Chucks and Whips do not)

Andy

Andy

Click to expand...

I agree with Eastern Towhee, Florida subspecies.

I also agree with Common Nighthawk. Chucks and Whips do sit on wires, just not in such an open environment.

 

njlarsen

Gallery Moderator

Opus Editor

Supporter

• Sep 11, 2012

• #4

Just for completeness: where in Florida was the Nighthawk? There are places where Antillean Nighthawk is found, and in such areas I would be reluctant to id to species ... Unless Andy has seen something that also excludes this one?

Niels

 

Douwe

Well-known member

• Sep 11, 2012

• #5

Thanks! It is always difficult from a book as I have not yet been in Florida myself. I would expect the common nighthawk to have a white patch in the primaries and I really did not recognize the bird in the picture as being an Eastern Towhee; the only other bird resembling, apart from the bill, was the blackbird.
Douwe

 

Douwe

Well-known member

• Sep 11, 2012

• #6

njlarsen said:

Just for completeness: where in Florida was the Nighthawk? There are places where Antillean Nighthawk is found, and in such areas I would be reluctant to id to species ... Unless Andy has seen something that also excludes this one?

Niels

Click to expand...

in Everglades Nat. Park

Douwe

 

Zackiedawg

Well-known member

• Sep 11, 2012

• #7

Antillean is a possibility down in the Everglades, but not very commonly. Much more likely in the Keys. We have been overrun the past few weeks all through South Florida with huge flocks of common nighthawks throughout the urban areas, so it would seem fairly likely to be a common nighthawk.