At my feeders in Shenandoah County, I too generally have a ratio of about 1
to 3 in terms of purple vs. brown birds. Although field guides always state
that first-year males and females of any age are identical, I have doubts based
upon years of observing them up close. Some of the brown birds have "warmer"
brown streaking on the breast and the head and are often suffused with a bit of
pink on the white parts of the head and upper breast and the rump. I
hypothesize that birds so marked may be the first-year males, while those
without any
pink are the females. I, of course, have absolutely no evidence to either
support or refute my hypothesis, but state it in the event that someone else
wishes to somehow pursue it. Several years ago, I was even so insolent as to
suggest it to David Sibley. He promptly replied with a courteously worded
answer to
the effect that it was an interesting observation and that he would look into
it. He is probably a gentleman (original meaning, not the one police
officers use when referring to an axe-murderer) who responds thusly to
everyone, but
at least he didn't tell me I was crazy. So, take it for what it's worth and
good birding.
Dave Davis
Arlington
