What kind of pee-wee? - Gulf of Mexico (1 Viewer)

[lostinjapan]

Well I know i not Pee-wee Hermon, but not sure if it is Eastern or Western or even if they are distingusiahble onplumage alone.

150 miles slap bang into the Gulf of Mexico, this bird pitched up. Seemed quite grey and dusky, and it seems to lack much colouron the lower mandible, but it didn't call.

I assume the mottling on the rump is because it is a 1st winter bird.

Any guidance greatly received, even if it is to say the two are indistinguishable!!

Cheers

Sean

 

[Bird_Bill]

Hello Sean, just a couple points from a field guide (Sibley), white(ish) wing bar(s) and weak eyerings for eastern, that your bird seems to display. As matter relating to range and movement, western's, from the info seen, travels more overland, down a centralized corridor within and through Mexico, then extending further south. The eastern more often being encountered close to the gulf. Very difficult to call, but the odds seems greatest for eastern.

Graphic, Western migration corridor
http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail_migration.asp?recnum=BD0277&viewType=migration

Texas- as data shows, western are confined towards the west.
Perhaps a fair assumption, that during movement, they would not be found closer to the gulf, until well south.
http://txtbba.tamu.edu/species-accounts/western-wood-pewee/

 

[DarkFireFalcon]

I've been told they are nigh on inseparable. A recent candidate out in CA had a lot of people claiming it could be an Eastern, until it called and matched Western.

 

[Bird_Bill]

I've been told they are nigh on inseparable.

Agree. Sibley also mentions in guide than minor differences in the upper/lower wing bars of juveniles MAY be seen. In a western, the upper wing bar allegedly contrast less, than that of the lower wing bar. On eastern, both wing bars are alleged to be about the same tone.
If it were my notes, would write..."prob. EAWOPE ?"
Unless they call, almost always a question.
The first pic is a great illustration showing primary/secondary projection, compared to an empid