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Mexico, Jalisco, Vias verdes, Mid December (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter oleic
- Start date
1. difficult to be certain on this view but probably ok for Bell's vireo. It's difficult to discern the bill shape but it's robust for any warbler and it has the curved culmen that this species can show. Bell's often shows an indistinct pale supercilium and loral stripe. We can't see this here but that might be due to angle and photo
2. agree immature grey hawk
3. streak-backed oriole
4. 2 Lesser yellow legs. Note needle bill of nearer bird
5. This looks like an icterid to me. Certainly no jay. I wonder if it's not a weird pic of a female great-tailed grackle or one of the cowbirds. (Perhaps the former.) The other thing I wondered about was a catbird, but I don't think it's this.
6. Plausibly Nutting's fly: we can see the undertail pattern. It's bleached, but it's not clear that the tip is darker (i.e. unlikely to be Ash-throated)
2. agree immature grey hawk
3. streak-backed oriole
4. 2 Lesser yellow legs. Note needle bill of nearer bird
5. This looks like an icterid to me. Certainly no jay. I wonder if it's not a weird pic of a female great-tailed grackle or one of the cowbirds. (Perhaps the former.) The other thing I wondered about was a catbird, but I don't think it's this.
6. Plausibly Nutting's fly: we can see the undertail pattern. It's bleached, but it's not clear that the tip is darker (i.e. unlikely to be Ash-throated)
Upperparts look suspiciously barred (I don't think it's shadows). Maybe house wren?? - though the bill-shape looks pretty wrong.
I guess Mexican jay (wollweberi).
That's photo-artefact. The front bird appears to have a needle bill only because its width is 'eaten into' by the bright white background. The rear bird (with a darker background) doesn't have that, and it would be pretty odd indeed if two individuals of the same species (really) differed so much in bill thickness.
I thought exactly the same but I don't think it can be great-tailed grackle: iris wouldn't be reddy-brown (even in juvenile?) and tail looks entirely wrong. I wondered about melodious blackbird but it's out of range and this bird just isn't black. If you allow for what the odd angle might do to the bill-shape, I think Mexican jay is pretty plausible, including iris colour and slightly-graduated tail.
More photos, please, if poss!
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Disagree. There is some effect but the front bird's bill is still thinner. I'm struck by how much this species (lesser)'s bill does vary in width. For example, I had to double-check that the bird behind wasn't greater. I often see ones on this forum which recall marsh sand.
It is actually pinky-browny-orangy. I think if we take exposure into account it "works" for that species. i really can't make this into any jay.
I'm not convinced it is. The tail's largely concealed by the branch and it's at an odd angle. Even so, we can see the somewhat disheveled look I associate with grackle tails.
Are we quite sure that the yellowlegs aren't Greater Yellowlegs? Both birds show a pale base to the bill, which Lesser Yellowlegs doesn't - their bills are evenly dark all the way to the base. The transition between the pale base and the darker tip is at the same point on the bill in both birds, and it's the exact spot where the change in colour can be seen on much clearer photos, so it's unlikely to be a photo artefact. The bills on both birds are rather short, yes, but they are slightly longer than the length of the head, and I think just in range for Greater - maybe both are immature birds with the bills not yet fully developed? Compare this photo of a juvenile Greater from Costa Rica - also taken in December - to see what I'm getting at:
macaulaylibrary.org
ML291966811 - Greater Yellowlegs - Macaulay Library
Macaulay Library ML291966811; © fernando Burgalin Sequeria; Guanacaste, Costa Rica
umm err are we sure these are the same birds as before, and if they why didn't we post those images then?
Bewick
Connoisseur of WTL
I’m confused on what you mean but the bird is perching on the same branch, is the same colouration- the only difference is the angle.
Small thing - At last a vireo-type bill-tip (just) in evidence - and (perhaps) suggestion of pale greater-covert-tips. I've no idea.
macaulaylibrary.org
Grey thing - Mexican jay, eg cop all the blue bits (which you see hints of in the first pic of it).
You've now got me hesitating... But note that lesser yellowlegs can show a pale bill-base, eg...
ML584003721 - Lesser Yellowlegs - Macaulay Library
Macaulay Library ML584003721; © Jose Juan Pamplona; Lima, Peru
Grey thing - Mexican jay, eg cop all the blue bits (which you see hints of in the first pic of it).
Yes, clearly they are the same (eg see Bewick's comment above). Asking why the OP didn't post these at the outset? - a question I ask myself about once a day on this forum, but never (OK, rarely) do I think it appropriate to ask a poster why they didn't - me being too polite for that, obviously
I take it back. You're right
birdmeister
Well-known member
I also thought Greater Yellowlegs right away, but I see why people are going for Lesser too. I'm still of the opinion that they look more like Greater.Are we quite sure that the yellowlegs aren't Greater Yellowlegs? Both birds show a pale base to the bill, which Lesser Yellowlegs doesn't - their bills are evenly dark all the way to the base. The transition between the pale base and the darker tip is at the same point on the bill in both birds, and it's the exact spot where the change in colour can be seen on much clearer photos, so it's unlikely to be a photo artefact. The bills on both birds are rather short, yes, but they are slightly longer than the length of the head, and I think just in range for Greater - maybe both are immature birds with the bills not yet fully developed? Compare this photo of a juvenile Greater from Costa Rica - also taken in December - to see what I'm getting at:
ML291966811 - Greater Yellowlegs - Macaulay Library
Macaulay Library ML291966811; © fernando Burgalin Sequeria; Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Is Dusky-capped an option for the Myiarchus? No rufous under tail, brighter yellow underparts, etc?
To me it looks quite different to the earlier photo. Agree it's the same setting but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the same bird. Just to make point, we were in disagreement as to whether the first image was an icterid. The second one very obviously is
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