waterthrush ID help please. Michigan (1 Viewer)

[Hainan on the fly]

Northern and Louisiana both occur. I think the streaked throat makes it good for Northern but the legs looked pretty bright so I wasn't sure.

Thanks,

Brian

edit: more blurry photos (e-j) added after many comment.

 

[THE_FERN]

Hmm. Difficult to be sure given angle and motion blur in the photos. I feel it's Northern.

Louisiana gives a stark black and white feel, Northern more brownish (as here). The supercilum might look flared but that's due to the angle imho: if we were viewing from the side I don't think it would appear that way. I think the legs are more orange than pink (Northern can look that way, and there's lighting effects here). Finally, the streaking is very strong. But I could be wrong...

 

[tom baxter]

I agree that it looks more like Northern at a glance. Hard to be completely sure though from these photos.

 

[maplekong]

My instinct says Northern

 

[Butty]

My instinct says there's no decent view of the centre of the throat, the supercilium looks tapering but that's a variable feature, and the photo quality is too low (no offence) - so leave it unidentified.

 

[KenM]

…….another one for Waterthrush!

 

[Hainan on the fly]

Thank you everyone for your input! My equipment makes it pretty difficult to get a photo clear enough for ID sometimes. I appreciate you all having a look at my blurry pictures and I'm fine leaving it unidentified if I'm not sure. Kind of used to it in fact when seeing hyperactive birds such as warblers. I've added a few more blurry pics attempting to give a more clear view of the throat if anyone cares to take another look.

Brian

 

[Butty]

Does look rather as though the central throat is streaked - pic h is best for that - which would indicate northern waterthrush.

 

[Hainan on the fly]

Does look rather as though the central throat is streaked - pic h is best for that - which would indicate northern waterthrush.

Thanks! I'm still kind of learning features and angles that are best to view them at. Always appreciate you sharing you insight.

 

[Andy Hurley]

DA Sibley shows the Northern with a yellowish wash all over the underside, as does your bird. The Louisiana is depicted as more white with a bit of yellowish wash on the rear flanks only.

edit: I mean only on the white bits, the streaks are still there..

 

[THE_FERN]

One of those annoying individuals where the central throat is unstreaked. However, the chest streaking is heavy and forms a necklace quite high up (i.e. not really on the chest). So reinforces impression of Northern for me

 

[Butty]

central throat is unstreaked

Typo? The streaks on the central throat of northern waterthrush are only ever no more than fine and liable simply to disappear in photos of this low quality (no offence).

 

[THE_FERN]

Typo? The streaks on the central throat of northern waterthrush are only ever no more than fine and liable simply to disappear in photos of this low quality (no offence).

Nope I meant as in all the illustrations here (for example):

Northern waterthrush - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Butty]

Sorry, I don't understand what point you're making.

 

[THE_FERN]

Sorry, I don't understand what point you're making.

Photos and some illustrations (e.g. Wikipedia) show the streaks in the central throat of Northern can be quite pronounced. I would expect to be able to see this here even with this image quality (not bad as these things go!). Equally there are many photos that show unstreaked throats. These individuals are more difficult to distinguish from Louisiana (which also shows some variability). It's what I'm seeing here.

 

[Butty]

I would expect to be able to see this here even with this image quality

As I pointed out above, you (sort of) can. (No need to say again that you dispute this - that's now understood.)