FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] bird ID help

["Ian Stewart" <istew2@xxxxxxx>]

Hi all,

Scott's interesting posting about fall warblers reminded me of a bird I saw=
 last weekend (Saturday) that had me baffled.

I was at the UK research farm just north of Lexington when I noticed a fair=
ly large passerine hopping about on the grass. At first glance, I passed =
it off as a juvenile mockingbird, going off its size and general behaviou=
r (hopping unashamedly around on open grass and then moving to a gravel-c=
hipped area and hiding under some trucks). However, when I took a closer =
look, it had a stouter beak (more tanager-like) and the face and breast h=
ad a distinct greenish tinge. It also had a pale wing bar and some subtle=
 facial markings, but the most distinctive feature was a cinammon tail (a=
gain, fairly long, which had made me think mockingbird).=20

In my experince, juvenile mockingbirds are basically paler versions of the =
adults, very grey. If I had seen this bird up in a tree I would have thou=
ght it was an oriole (female/immature), but I have never ever seen an ori=
ole walk around on the grass or gravel like this (usually >20 feet up a t=
ree!). Again, though, the beak looked too stout for a mimic thrush.

Any ideas anyone?
Cheers
Ian
Ian Stewart
T.H. Morgan School of Biology
University of Kentucky
Lexington
Kentucky
40506-0225
(859) 323-9499
================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBERS==============

The BIRDKY Mailing List requires you to sign 
your messages with first & last name, city, & 
state abbreviation.
--------------------------------------------------
To post to this mailing list, send e-mail to:
birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
-------------------------------------------------- 
To unsubscribe, send e-mail to:
birdky-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject line.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
Visit the Kentucky Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.biology.eku.edu/kos.htm
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
BIRDKY List Manager: Gary Ritchison, Richmond, KY
E-mail: gary.ritchison@xxxxxxx