Maybe we are just more aware and looking harder for “Greater” Common Redpolls (Carduelis flammea rostrata) this winter in Massachusetts, or maybe it’s really an exceptional winter, but there is no doubt that they have come south in significant numbers. I have seen them on a couple of visits to Dan Berard’s feeders in Millbury, […]
Redpoll investigation widens to include “Greater” Read More »
The decline of Red Knots from 1982 to 2006:data from Niles et al. 2007. Status of the Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa) in the Western Hemisphere. USFWS report. The Red Knot and Horseshoe Crab story has been in the news in the last several weeks, with a major PBS documentary “Crash: A Tale of Two
The Red Knot’s troubles Read More »
Taking a break from redpoll identification: I’ve written an essay about the challenges faced by migrating birds, which appears in this month’s Green issue of Delta’s Sky magazine. You can read it here.
On conserving migratory birds Read More »
In considering the true status and distribution of Hoary Redpoll, I realized that I had overlooked one significant source of information – the Christmas Bird Count results. While Common Redpoll nests throughout the boreal forests across the continent, Hoary is virtually unknown as a breeder east of Hudson Bay (ignoring the “Hornemann’s” Hoaries in Greenland
Where do Hoary Redpolls winter? Read More »
[Major updates 25 Feb 2008, adding new information about the introduced Siberian populations] You might think that the words “intriguing” and “House Sparrow sightings” are mutually exclusive, but here’s a case where they go together! In October 2007 a flock of five House Sparrows showed up in the coastal village of Shishmaref in northwest Alaska.
House Sparrow – "New" for North America? Read More »
The question of age variation has come up repeatedly in redpoll discussions, so I finally tried to find an answer to the question of just how important age-related variation in plumage might be. And based on published studies the answer is … not very important. Seutin et al. (1992) studied redpolls at Churchill, Manitoba using
Redpoll age variation and ID Read More »
[edited 12 Feb 2008]From Texas comes the remarkable news of the discovery of an apparent White-crested Elaenia (Elaenia albiceps) found by Dan and Honey Jones on 9 Feb 2008. Photos, sound recordings, and ID discussion can be found at Martin Reid’s website and some great photos at Erik Breden’s website. The bird was found at
White-crested Elaenia – new for North America Read More »
Feb 24 – I’ll be speaking at the Northwest Branch of the Corpus Christi Public Library on February 24th at 4 PM to help celebrate the opening of their new Clif Moss Nature Education Center. Some details here. And if you’re in the area that weekend check out the Celebration of Whooping Cranes in nearby
Upcoming events in early 2008 Read More »
Redpoll identification is challenging because Hoary and Common Redpoll seem to show an unbroken continuum of variation from pale to dark, and there are no fully reliable differences. So birders have to rely on a subjective assessment of overall color and struggle to define the threshold for confident identification. Virtually all birders see redpolls only
Urging caution when identifying Common Redpolls Read More »
I’m reposting here some comments I just sent to ID-Frontiers, about a pale redpoll in Illinois and another in Massachusetts: The comment under these photos on the ILBIRDS forum giving the bird an index score between 11 and 12 is, I would say, overly generous. The undertail coverts that we can see (not much) seem
Comments on two redpolls Read More »