Nutting's or Brown crested flycatcher? Costa Rica (1 Viewer)

jamesevry

Well-known member

• Aug 10, 2018

• #1

Seen in Guanacaste, CR in July. Thinking nuttings, but didn't hear it call and don't know what features to look for.

Cheers

 

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tom baxter

Well-known member

• Aug 10, 2018

• #2

Why do you think nuttings? I’m not sure but I was thinking bcfl because the bill doesn’t look that large and I’m not seeing obvious yellow secondaries. That being said the secondary color is pretty intermediate and open to interpretation in my eyes.

 

jamesevry

Well-known member

• Aug 18, 2018

• #3

I thought nuttings because the bird appeared slightly smaller and smaller billed than other bc flycatchers that I saw and heard, and because the garrigues fieldguide mentions cinnamon rump (cf grey brown rump in bc). Have very little experience with either though!

 

jamesevry

Well-known member

• Aug 18, 2018

• #4

Here is a clearer shot of the rump. I have several other angles if there are other features that may be useful with a better look

 

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Jon Turner

Well-known member

• Aug 18, 2018

• #5

Our guide in CR said these two were the most difficult to separate...

 

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tom baxter

Well-known member

• Aug 18, 2018

• #6

Jon Turner said:

Our guide in CR said these two were the most difficult to separate...

Click to expand...

They’re very difficult to tell apart and by far the best way is by voice. I don’t have a lot of experience with them but I thought Nittings had a larger bill than Brown-crested. Either way, I am sure that Nutrings is supposed to have yellowish secondaries and in the new pictures they do look clearly yellow suggesting Nuttings as far as I know.

 

pbjosh

missing the neotropics

• Aug 19, 2018

• #7

There is quite a bit of subsp variation in both species, and I don't remember them from CR nor do I have guides handy, but beware using US or Mexico guides to try to divine things here

 

njlarsen

Gallery Moderator

Opus Editor

Supporter

• Aug 19, 2018

• #8

Is there an image more clearly showing the underside of the tail? Nuttings should have the dark edges on the underside of the tail becoming a terminal band while the BcFl does not. Bill on Nuttings shown as smaller than BC. Yellow edgings on outer secondaries in both. All according to the Peterson field guide to northern CA. (Fagan and Kumar).

Compare images by searching the gallery from the link at the end of the pages (but as PBJosh states, check where the photo was taken):
https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Brown-crested_Flycatcher
https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Nutting's_Flycatcher

Niels

 

Birdingcraft

Well-known member

• Aug 19, 2018

• #9

Yes, very tough to separate, more so than field guides can indicate. The best way other than call is the shape of the bill, if short and straight like this one a Nutting's, and yes, also has a prominent rufous rump so it looks good for a Nutting's.

 

jamesevry

Well-known member

• Aug 20, 2018

• #10

Thanks a lot all for your input, very interesting. Niels, unfortunately I don't have any other photos that show the underside of the tail.

Cheers