[Birdtalk] ID request

[Craig Fosdick]

All-

Hmmm....I don't think it is a Blackpoll; I just saw about 10 in upstate NY
10-14 days ago (along with CSWA and others), and the white eye ring is way
too pronounced on this bird to be a Blackpoll.  Also, Blackpolls have dark
eyestripes with thin eyerings; this bird has no eyestripe.  Can't say
anything conlcusive about the streaking; some fall male CSWA should have
solid chestnut streaks; perhaps this is a first-year male?  (my Peterson
warbler guide is not at hand).  Also, Blackpolls should have black bills,
not pale bills; this bird has a pale bill.  And whitish undertail coverts
are consisent with CSWA.  Blackpolls also are much drabber, even on the
face, and should not be bright lime-green on face and back.  Legs appear to
be mostly concealed by foliage, I'm struggling with the color on this.  Fall
male CSWA do have streaks on the back, which this bird has.

I vote CSWA, for whatever it's worth.  Perhaps someone can relocate the bird
and get better/more looks/photos?

Craig Fosdick
Logan, Utah.

On Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 12:21 PM, Mark Stackhouse <westwings at sisna.com>wrote:

> This is a pretty "confusing" fall warbler.
>
> The plain face and complete eye-ring suggest Chestnut-sided, but it doesn't
> look green enough on the back, or (perhaps more importantly since the back
> isn't as clearly seen or well lit in these photos) the underparts clear and
> unstreaked enough. Chestnut-sided should not have the streaking on the
> flanks that this bird has.
>
> Bay-breasted is another possibility, but it should be a bit warmer on the
> flanks, and again the sides should be less streaked. Also, the under-tail
> coverts should be more buffy; these appear to me to be whitish.
>
> I'm leaning towards Blackpoll Warbler. Blackpoll has streaking on the
> flanks like this bird shows. The under-tail coverts appear whitish. Also,
> the legs and feet appear pale or yellowish to me in the second photo, good
> for Blackpoll, but the others should have black legs. The face seems plain
> for Blackpoll, but I think it's within the range of variation for this
> species.
>
> Nice photos (warbler photos are never easy) of a great find.
>
> Mark Stackhouse
>
>
>
> On Sep 30, 2008, at 6:51 AM, Milt Moody wrote:
>
>  Carol Gwynn sent in these pictures of a bird at Red Butte Gardens in SLC
>> and would like some opinions on its ID.  ~ MGM
>>
>> http://www.utahbirds.org/hotlinephotos/2008/MysteryBirdCG.htm
>>
>>
>>
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