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Mystery Bird



Hi,

I have some notes concerning that mystery bird:

1. Pine Grosebeak - tertials are much too short for Grosebeak which has 
long  terial and secondaries, head shape is also wrong to Grosebeak 
which has rather flat looking head emphasized by very heavy bill

2. Chestnut-collared Longspur - Longspurs have longer legs (they run 
fast and for long distance), again tertials are too short for that group 
Ch-c Longspur in particular has primaries slightly shorter than tertials 
(in opposite to Lapland one). Our bird has primaries slightly longer 
than (rather short) tertials

3. House Sparrow - they have very short primary projection 
(non-migaratory species) much much shorter than tail projection (behind 
tip of primaries)

4. Junco -  has also rather long tertials comparing to rather short 
primary projection and long tail (ca 2-3 times longer than primary 
projection). In mystery bird tail is just slightly longer than primary 
projection.

5. Cow Bird - even in that photographs would be visible very pointed 
head shape (hence to bill) and distinctly longer bill than in our bird 
and again legs would be longer and more distinct (heavier)

6. House Finch - the wing structure fit to that species a well as 
feather structure on flanks and scapulars (kind of diffuse streaks) in 
additional head structure - blunt bill and hint of eye stripe (again 
more structural matter)

7. Goldfinch - that was the hardest to eliminate for me et least ( both 
may have rather similar wing structure - short tertials and long 
primaries), similar short legs however head shape is rather wrong for 
Goldfinch (I would expect more pointed structure with less obvious 
forehead). However the strongest argue for me is the tail structure. In 
Goldfinch the uppertail coverts are long (thus tail itself is rather 
short) and end behind the primary tips (tail looks more heavy-base) and 
 rather shorter than primary projection. In House Finch tail is longer 
(with shorter tail coverts) and tail projection is slightly longer than 
primaries. In addition there is some worm yellowish tinge on ear coverts 
which is sometimes visible in some unusual males of House Finch (could 
be more orange or yellow instead of reddish - Kaufman 2000)

8. Purple Finch - very, very similar in structure to House Finch however 
I would expect  heavier head with less obvious forehead and heavier bill

So I would vote for House Finch, probably male.

Mike

Shahid wrote:

>Dear Carolinabirders,
>Thanks for you responses.  Here is a tally of suggestions:
>
>5 Partially albino/leucistic House Finch
>2             "                       Cow Bird
>1             "                        Junco
>1             "                        House Sparrow
>1 Winter-plumaged Chestnut-collared Longspur
>1 Im. Female Pine Grosbeak
>1 Albino LBJ
>
>Any more final suggestions?  I will call to see if the lady is back from her
>trip and, if the bird is there, ride over to take a look.
>
>Thanks to Will Cook for posting these on the website and for those of you
>who responded!
>
>Ann Shahid
>Charleston, SC
>  
>
>>    
>>
>>>Dear Carolinabirders,
>>>
>>>These photos were sent to Beidler Forest, the state Audubon headquarters
>>>for SC by a woman from Bowman,SC who has been seeing this bird in her
>>>backyard.
>>>
>>>http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/pix/temp/whitebird.jpg
>>>
>>>I would like some input on identification before I tell her
>>>what I think it is. She says, "It is white with yellow head and tan
>>>neck."
>>>
>>>Thanks!
>>>
>>>Ann Shahid
>>>Charleston, SC
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>--
>>Charles W. "Will" Cook                  w 919-660-7423
>>http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook            cwcook@duke.edu
>>Biology Dept., Duke Univ., Box 90340, Durham, NC 27708
>>
>>    
>>
>
>
>  
>

-- 
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