Feather tract question (1 Viewer)

[jmorlan]

I have a question about the transverse solid black patch that usually shows above the folded wing on the adult male Northern Pintail.

Are these feathers lower scapulars, humeral coverts, or something else?

A flight shot showing these feathers is at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/freespirit5/511470529/sizes/o/

Thanks.

 

[Sy V]

Well I'd call 'em secondaries (because they're the next in from the primaries), but I'm probably wrong.

 

[Strandman]

I have a question about the transverse solid black patch that usually shows above the folded wing on the adult male Northern Pintail.

Are these feathers lower scapulars, humeral coverts, or something else?

A flight shot showing these feathers is at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/freespirit5/511470529/sizes/o/

Thanks.

Good question- when the bird is on water you can get the illusion of the black patch being wing coverts showing between the flanks and the long overhanging scapulars.

But I think you are right- the black patch is formed by the lower scapulars.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

The patch is known as the speculum and is formed by the colouring on the secondaries. See the Opus page HERE

 

[Strandman]

The patch is known as the speculum and is formed by the colouring on the secondaries. See the Opus page HERE

We may be talking about different patches...I'm sure jmorlan will be along to clarify.

There's the speculum formed by the secondaries, including the dark inner secondaries, which pretty much disappears on the folded wing. But there's also the two black splots on the scaps....

http://media.photobucket.com/image/pintail wing/deadbird8/Pintail006a.jpg

 

[Sy V]

Yes, I think we may be on cross (or transverse) purposes here! The patch about which I spoke was that on the speculum/secondaries.

 

[jmorlan]

Sorry if my question was confusing. I was not talking about the secondaries or the dark feathers with pale tips which form the speculum (part of the secondaries). I'm asking about the black "racing stripe" that seems to start just below the scapulars and extends parallel to the body along the base of the wing.

Let me upload the photo and try to clarify. See attachment. The two red arrows point to the black feather tract I'm asking about. They are just below the scapulars which are pale fringed. But they seem to emerge from covert feathers rather than from the back. That's why I thought they might actually be humeral coverts.

Thanks again.

 

[Strandman]

Sorry if my question was confusing. I was not talking about the secondaries or the dark feathers with pale tips which form the speculum (part of the secondaries). I'm asking about the black "racing stripe" that seems to start just below the scapulars and extends parallel to the body along the base of the wing.

Let me take upload the photo and make it clear. See attachment. The two red arrows point to the black feather tract I'm asking about.

Thanks again.

Yup- thems what I have in mind as lower scapulars, despite their demarcation from the more elongated and parti-coloured obvious scaps. Sorry- missed off reference to link posted above- which I selected as it seems to show reasonably clearly how the black feathers have an anchoring point within the barred scap. bases.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/pintail wing/deadbird8/Pintail006a.jpg

 

[jmorlan]

Yup- thems what I have in mind as lower scapulars, despite their demarcation from the more elongated and parti-coloured obvious scaps. Sorry- missed off reference to link posted above- which I selected as it seems to show reasonably clearly how the black feathers have an anchoring point within the barred scap. bases.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/pintail wing/deadbird8/Pintail006a.jpg

Thank you. Good photo and I agree. Lower scapulars it is!

If it were on the coverts, I would expect it show up in the spread wing image at the Slater Museum. It doesn't so that's another reason it has to be scapulars.

 

[jmorlan]

Not to belabor this point, but in Sibley's Birding Basics, page 88, these feathers are incorrectly labeled "secondary coverts."