Eastern Wood Pewee? Lower Hudson Valley, NY (1 Viewer)

[gsimonel]

The same bird is in all 3 photos. They were taken in a grassy field in Sleepy Hollow, NY. Am I correct in calling it an Eastern Wood Pewee?

Thank you for your expertise.

 

[birdmeister]

The habitat and what I can see in the photo suggests Willow/Alder Flycatcher more than wood-pewee.

 

[gsimonel]

According to my Golden Guide, the lack of an eye ring distinguishes the Pewee from the Willow/Alder flycather. I've attached the first photo, cropped, but at the original resolution. I think I can see an eye ring, which would confirm your ID. Thank you, Birdmeister.

 

[THE_FERN]

Yeah it's not a wood Pewee: they appear duller grey than this and have longer primary projections. Try this if you fancy puzzling it out further:

Category:Empidonax - BirdForum Opus

www.birdforum.net

 

[gsimonel]

Thanks for the link. I'm leaning toward an Alder flycatcher based on the shape of the head and the two-toned beak. But that's just a guess. For now I'll just call it a flycatcher.

 

[qwerty5]

Willow is much more likely based on your location. https://ebird.org/region/US-NY-119/media?yr=all&m=#aldfly

 

[gsimonel]

Yes. And the habitat is more common for a willow than an alder. I will just call it a flycatcher and leave it at that. I think anything more specific would be false precision.

 

[qwerty5]

I think anything more specific would be false precision.

You're correct. A great necessity in birding is being able to leave some individuals unidentified.