[Birdnet] Possible Tricolored Blackbird in Holladay

[Mark Stackhouse]

Thanks for posting the photos - and an excellent job at making and  
documenting this report, Pomera.

That being said, it looks to me like this is a aberrant Red-wing, with  
unusually white median coverts. In addition to Tim's excellent  
comments on vagrancy (btw, Tim, I also have LeConte's in Utah -  
twice), there are clues visible in the photo that point to Red-wing. I  
sent a message to ID Frontiers to get some response from California  
birders who have more experience with this species. The unanimous  
response is that this is a Red-wing. I've copied the responses I  
received below, so that we all can learn. In spite of the fact that  
this species is not known to wander very far, reports in recent years  
have extended the known "zone of vagrancy" for this species, so  
perhaps it's not entirely out of the question for Utah, so there's  
value in all of us knowing what to look for.

My own reasons for thinking this to be a Red-wing were as follows:

  - the bill seems too stout - Tricolored has a longer, thinner, more  
oriole-like bill

- the primary extension seems too short and rounded (longer and more  
pointed in Tricolored)

- the presence of some bright yellow feathers along the lower edge of  
the epaulet would seem to rule out Tricolored

- the red color of the epaulet seems too orangey-red, and not the  
deep, bright red of Tricolored

I missed the rusty feather edgings that Matt Mills noted, which is  
also a no-no for Tricolored, especially at this time of year (worn  
plumage).

Great work, Pomera, at making the report, and providing excellent  
evidence, so that we can be more certain as to the i.d. of this  
interesting bird.

Good birding!

Mark

Mark Stackhouse
mark at westwings.com
from Mexico:
01-323-285-1243 (San Blas, Nayarit)
001-801-518-5618 (cellular - U.S. and Mexico)
from  U.S.
011-52-323-285-1243 or
1-801-518-5618


Here's some of the responses I got:

"Although Trikes are now up even in WA and so becoming a possibility  
for UT, I don’t think is one. As you point out, the bright yellow in  
the white is definite concern (Trikes often are buffy before fading to  
white, but never bright yellow). Also the red shoulder is a typical  
RWBL red. Trikes tend to be a deeper red. I also suspect the amount of  
red v. white in the shoulder patch may be wrong but can’t be sure.  
Unfortunately where I live now, Trikes don’t occur often, so I can’t  
go out and check anything."

"Not a Tricolored.  The red color is typical of Red-winged.  A  
Tricolored has darker, blood red color in the epaulet feathers, not  
orange-red.  And the white fringe is usually reduced, not extensive  
like this bird.  I see Tricoloreds every day near where I live in  
Northern California."

"I believe this is a Red-winged Blackbird.  In sitting birds, there is  
normally no red showing on Tricolored, just a narrow white stripe.   
The red is normally only visible in a flying bird.  The red on a  
Tricolored is darker than the bright red on a Red-wing.  This bird is  
too bright red for a Tricolored.  There is never any yellow in the  
epaulet of Tricolored.  You are correct about the bill, it is too  
stout for Tricolored.  Tricolored have a more oriole-like bill, though  
not as thin as an oriole’s bill.  To me there is nothing about this  
bird, other than the median covert color that says Tricolored."

"I’d concur with your analysis and add a couple of other problems for  
male Tricolored:
(1)    No blue gloss evident in the body plumage (looks more coal  
black, like a Red-winged)
(2)    Red of the lesser coverts is too orange/scarlet – it is a much  
deeper red in a normal adult male Tricolroed
(3)    The white of the median coverts on this bird smacks of leucism  
to me – too extensive and too bright white; so the fact that there is  
a broad white bar there probably reflects a plumage anomaly and only  
superficial similarity to Tricolored.
Vocally, Tricoloreds are very different from Red-wingeds.  This bird  
looks like it might be teed up and singing, so I assume it was heard."

" I am with you, there are concerns. But first of all, reading between  
the lines it seems like the bird was vocalizing…isn’t that what the  
“Based on what we heard tonight, the bird will likely oblige” comment  
refers to? If so, that is the single best feature for knowing you have  
an out of range Tricolored, the song and calls are quite different  
from a Red-winged Blackbird. So a description of voice would be  
useful. Having said that the issues that concern me are: 1) the  
remaining edging on the upperpart feathers looks cinnamon or dull  
chestnut, too bright and warm for a Tricolored Blackbird. 2) The bill  
on the good side view shot where the bird is pointing left looks too  
thick and short for Tricolored 3) The epaulet is orange-red rather  
than the darker blood red of Tricolored 4) I see some yellow on the  
edge of the red epaulet. Early in the season Tricolored has a buffy  
border to the red epaulet, as this wears and fades it becomes white,  
but the patchy yellow colors I see there are weird.

I am leaning to a Red-winged Blackbird with oddly white epaulet fringe."


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://secureserver.securesites.net/pipermail/birdnet/attachments/20090320/6a9e200d/attachment.htm