23 Jun 2011 – Concord, MA Sitting at my desk today I was roused by a bird call that I did not immediately recognize. This is a very rare occurrence for me, especially at my house where I spend many hours every day, and I know the birds that are here very well. As the […]
No more Dendroica? If you’re connected to the birding grapevine, you’ve probably already heard that the AOU has rearranged the species of Wood-Warblers (Family Parulidae) and that the genera Parula, Wilsonia, and Dendroica are gone, merged into other genera. ((These changes won’t become official until published in the next month or so, but it’s unlikely
The new Wood-Warbler taxonomy Read More »
On 9 Jun 1987 I was leading a WINGS tour group at Churchill, Manitoba, and we chartered a small boat to go out on the river for an hour or so to see Belugas and look for birds. During this trip I spotted a distant loon on the water, which struck me as being large
An apparent hybrid Yellow-billed x Common Loon Read More »
Here is a classic optical illusion – the three horizontal lines in the image below are all the same length. Yes, they are identical (move your cursor over the image to see the proof). I’ve been pondering this illusion and wondering how often we see similar effects in bird identification. I suspect that a lot
Optical illusions and bird identification Read More »
The Blackberry app has been updated again today: Blackberry Update Version 4.1.0 – 7 Jun 2011 Blackberry-style theme (replaces “90′s DOS style” interface) Improved smart search Improved support for touch-enabled devices Improved support for native text auto-complete This follows an update on 27 May 2011 which included the following changes: Added “My Location” Global filter by
Blackberry eGuide updates Read More »
There is more evidence of the dire situation with Spoon-billed Sandpiper – efforts are currently underway to develop a captive-breeding population. A team led by staff from the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) and Birds Russia, along with several other international organizations, is currently in Siberia working to locate and capture a small number of
New efforts to save Spoon-billed Sandpiper Read More »
See my detailed discussion of White-crowned subspecies here, which needs updating with the information below. In early May 2011 I spent several days in southeastern Arizona, and devoted a lot of time to studying the White-crowned Sparrows. At that date most of them were migrant Interior West birds of subspecies Z. l. oriantha. Most of
Distinguishing Interior West from Western Taiga White-crowned Sparrows Read More »
On 9 May 2011 several birders saw and heard a strange oriole in Georgetown, South Carolina (photos here). They identified it as a Scott’s Oriole, a first state record and the first spring record in the east. When other birders saw the photos, some questioned why the bird was not an Orchard Oriole (common in
A “mystery” oriole and the limitations of identification by impression Read More »
At last…. The Sibley eGuide is now available for Blackberry! Check it out at the Blackberry App Store Now Blackberry owners can enjoy having the entire content of the acclaimed Sibley Guide to Birds on a device that fits in your pocket – all 810 species, over 6600 paintings, over 700 range maps, and detailed
The eGuide for Blackberry is available! Read More »
The Mexican Duck was formerly considered a species (Anas diazi), and is currently lumped with Mallard (as subspecies Anas platyrhynchos diazi), but recent DNA studies suggest that Mottled Duck (not Mallard) is its closest relative (McCracken et al. 2001). Whatever its genetic background, it is clear from field observations that Mexican Ducks and Mallards interbreed
Intergradation between Mexican Duck and Mallard in Arizona Read More »