Bird spotting US (1 Viewer)

[Tristan1976]

Hi everyone,

I took these pictures in September 2022, and I was hoping that the experts here could help me identifying the birds.
Thank you very much in advance!

View attachment IMG_2036.JPG
Picture taken right before an eruption of Old Faithful at Yellowstone NP, September 8th

View attachment IMG_2073.JPG
Picture taken on the Mystic Falls Trail, at Observation Point, Yellowstone NP, September 8th

View attachment IMG_2074.JPG
Same spot (likely same bird)

View attachment IMG_3094.JPG
Picture taken in Canyonlands NP, September 14th.
Is this a bleu jay?

View attachment IMG_4108.JPG
Picture taken in Mesquite, Nevada, September 21st

View attachment IMG_4592.JPG
Picture taken near Union Point, while hiking Four Mile Trail in Yosemite NP, September 24th

View attachment IMG_4774.JPG
Picture taken in Kings Canyon NP, September 26th

View attachment IMG_5013.JPG
Picture taken at Marshall's Beach, San Francisco, September 29th
Are these Dalmatian pelicans?

View attachment IMG_5025.JPG
Picture taken at Marshall's Beach, San Francisco, September 29th

 

[Sangahyando]

#1 I think Rusty Blackbird
#2 and #3 Osprey
#4 your local species of Scrub-jay, probably Woodhouse's (since Western has been split)?
#5 local species of grackle missing most of its tail, looks like Great-tailed Grackle.
#6 Mountain Quail
#7 I think this is a Brewer's Blackbird, bill looks too thin for a cowbird and colour too uniform for Rusty Blackbird.
#8 Brown Pelican. Dalmatian Pelican is much paler (apart from flight feathers) and has an entirely different range.
#9 Turkey Vulture.

 

[Butty]

Are these Dalmatian pelicans?

I suspect the influence of ID-by-Googling... which can easily lead to all sorts of unfortunate, confusing and even crass errors, especially of a geographical nature. The path to true enlightenment lies with... a field guide.

 

[Strontium Dog]

#1 I think Rusty Blackbird
#2 and #3 Osprey
#4 your local species of Scrub-jay, probably Woodhouse's (since Western has been split)?
#5 local species of grackle missing most of its tail, looks like Great-tailed Grackle.
#6 Mountain Quail
#7 I think this is a Brewer's Blackbird, bill looks too thin for a cowbird and colour too uniform for Rusty Blackbird.
#8 Brown Pelican. Dalmatian Pelican is much paler (apart from flight feathers) and has an entirely different range.
#9 Turkey Vulture.

Wouldn't Rusty Blackbird be pretty rare that far west?

 

[Sangahyando]

Wouldn't Rusty Blackbird be pretty rare that far west?

Probably. I just assumed it was on migration, given the date. But it's possible I'm wrong, particularly since the bird looks a bit dishevelled.

 

[rkj]

I started to write that I agree with all of Sangahyando's identifications, but I stopped to look at the first photo again and I am a bit uncertain about that one. I think Rusty Blackbird is probably correct, but I cannot find any other photo of one that has as much rust color on the wing feathers as this bird shows. I do not have enough experience with the species to know if this is within normal variation or not. The only other option would be a Brewer's Blackbird with a very rare color anomaly, which does seem much less likely. Ebird has only two previous records of Rusty Blackbird at Yellowstone N.P., so this is indeed a notable record. If you have any other photos of this bird, it would be interesting to see them.

​

 

[Indobirder]

I'm not sure if #1 is a Rusty on not, but the few brown primaries strike me as wrong. It should have the fringes brown, not the entire feather, I think -- or be entirely black. Also I'd expect to see dark feathering in front of the eye.

Looks like the foot has a disease (just like the other blackbird)

 

[ensis]

#7 Yes, Brewer's Blackbird (female).

 

[ensis]

As for #1, Are Rusty and Brewer's blackbirds known to hybridize?

 

[BenjiS]

Is it not possible that 1 & 7 are the same bird?
They both seem to have a similar plumage (except that the 1st picture is slightly sharper) and both have a foot disease on the same foot?
I can't ID them personally, but maybe they could be the same bird?

 

[Sangahyando]

Is it not possible that 1 & 7 are the same bird?
They both seem to have a similar plumage (except that the 1st picture is slightly sharper) and both have a foot disease on the same foot?
I can't ID them personally, but maybe they could be the same bird?

I don't think so. Even allowing for differences in lighting and the possibility that the OP might've gotten the locations mixed up (but if correct, the locations given are in different states and ca. 1000 km apart), the eye colours are different and the tumors aren't in exactly the same place.

edit: mixed up locations

 

[BenjiS]

I forgot to look at the locations to be honest 🤣

 

[Tristan1976]

I started to write that I agree with all of Sangahyando's identifications, but I stopped to look at the first photo again and I am a bit uncertain about that one. I think Rusty Blackbird is probably correct, but I cannot find any other photo of one that has as much rust color on the wing feathers as this bird shows. I do not have enough experience with the species to know if this is within normal variation or not. The only other option would be a Brewer's Blackbird with a very rare color anomaly, which does seem much less likely. Ebird has only two previous records of Rusty Blackbird at Yellowstone N.P., so this is indeed a notable record. If you have any other photos of this bird, it would be interesting to see them.

​

Hi, thank you for your feedback. I think I have other pics of that particular bird, because I remember it was sitting quite close to me right before Old Faithful erupted. I'll look them up after work.

 

[Tristan1976]

I don't think so. Even allowing for differences in lighting and the possibility that the OP might've gotten the locations mixed up (but if correct, the locations given are in different states and ca. 1000 km apart), the eye colours are different and the tumors aren't in exactly the same place.

edit: mixed up locations

I didn't mix up locations. Besides, the numeral order (file name) of the pics would have to be wrong too then.

 

[Tristan1976]

Two more pics of bird #1:

https://imgur.com/7K7erDP

https://imgur.com/Ep4XFwV

 

[rkj]

I am still not 100% sure on this bird, but still favor Rusty Blackbird. I think the newly posted photos show a bill-shape better for that species. Fig. 2 in this article:
https://www.birdpop.org/docs/pubs/Musher_et_al_2017_ID_of_Male_Euphagus_Blackbirds.pdf shows that both Rusty and Brewer's Blackbirds may have primaries that are rather uniformly brown.

 

[Tristan1976]

I'll settle for Rusty Blackbird then, so I can wrap up my travel journal.

Thanks everyone for helping me out, Sangahyando in particular.

 

[Butty]

Or - like the people you've asked to advise you - you could settle for being unsure.

 

[Tristan1976]

Actually, I have one more. This pic is taken on September 9th, at Artist Point, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone:

https://imgur.com/QYRgBZT

 

[Bewick]

I would suggest common raven