[wisb] Re: Hoary Redpoll - yard bird! (Ashland Co.)
- From: Ryan Brady <ryanbrady10@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <stevethiessen@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2012 21:34:00 -0700
Ageing is difficult from pics, for me anyway, and I've yet to figure out a
reliable way of doing it without the bird in hand. The lack of any pink on
breast suggests female, though supposedly a small percentage of first-year
males can lack any pink wash. However, since the pink appears through feather
wear I think we could expect most if not all males to be showing at least some
by this date in late winter. A different story when the plumage is fresh in
fall.
The white edging on the coverts and flight feathers is highly variable so the
lack of it is not a deal-breaker. Same with the bill size. Not all Hoaries
(or shall we say, apparent Hoaries) have the tiny, stubby bill typically
depicted for the species. And same for the red poll -- it doesn't need to be
smaller than Common to be a Hoary. This ID truly is about using a suite of
field marks. I would also emphasize that start out by sexing the bird and
comparing with adjacent Commons in the same sex class.
And yes, huge cautions when viewing or photographing the bill and undertail
coverts. When the head is quartered toward you, the bill really can't be
assessed accurately. When the head is facing away ever so slightly, it always
looks tiny. Must get multiple views and/or photos in perfect profile, which is
in part why field observations without a set of photos are particularly
difficult for records committees to assess. And the undertail coverts are even
worse. In my opinion, this is the most incorrectly assessed field mark of all.
Any profile or near-profile view/photo grossly underestimates the true degree
of streaking, i.e. makes it look whiter. It is imperative to get a good view
either from below when the bird is in tree or when the bird is foraging on the
ground facing away from you (with tail slightly up as it tips down to feed). I
can show you redpolls I have photographed where the first 8 photos make it seem
like there's no streaking at all on the undertail and the 9th shows obviously
distinct streaking. On a sidenote, most of the female Hoaries I've seen have 1
moderately thick streak on the longest covert but lack any "satellite" streaks
on adjacent coverts. Female Commons will have a thick streak (usually thicker
than Hoary) but always with additional streaks on the other smaller coverts.
Alas, all my redpolls were m.i.a. this morning as a N. Shrike spent the better
part of 3 hours hunting shrews under my feeders.
Ryan Brady
Washburn, Bayfield County, WI
http://www.pbase.com/rbrady
> Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:55:57 -0800
> From: nicka29@xxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [wisb] Re: Hoary Redpoll - yard bird! (Ashland Co.)
> To: wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; stevethiessen@xxxxxxxxxxx
>
> Steve, there was a bit of wash on the upper breast, but it was buff and not
> at all pink, so I think that rules out a male. The secondaries/tertials do
> seem to have less white than is typically illustrated - I'm not sure what the
> variation in that feature though I've seen pictures of clear Hoaries where
> this area was fairly dark, and that may change with how the wings are held.
> Because this bird seemed to be lacking brown tones other than the buff on the
> upper breast, and was lacking pink entirely, if you made me choose I'd call
> this an adult female, but I don't claim to be an expert.
>
> Ryan and I were discussing how misleading one photo can be on Hoaries or
> suspected Hoaries, especially with regard to apparent bill shape and also the
> amount of streaking on the undertail coverts. Some of my photos make this
> bird look like the undertail coverts were completely unstreaked, but other
> photos show that it did have one streak.
>
> Nick Anich
> Ashland, WI
>
>
> Subject: Re: Hoary Redpoll - yard bird! (Ashland Co.)
> From: "Steve Thiessen" <stevethiessen AT charter.net>
> Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:07:34 -0600
>
> I'm glad to see the pics from up north. It's a great learning tool. What
> sex and age do you (and Ryan) think it is. Almost looks as if it has a
> slight wash on the upper breast. Also interesting is that the tertails and
> flight feathers have no white on the edges. It make you realize that a
> female Hoary is very hard to write up if you miss anything. Atleast for me.
> I really suck at it, but working on getting better. Steve Thiessen Stoughton
> Dane co.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Nick Anich" To: "wisbirdn" Sent: Friday, February 24, 2012 6:51 PM
> Subject: [wisb] Hoary Redpoll - yard bird! (Ashland Co.) > For the past
> couple weeks I've been hearing siskins in the neighborhood
> > but my feeders have been deserted. Finally today about 60 siskins came in
> > and brought a handful of repolls, with them a nice Hoary! Must have
> > escaped from the Hoary colony in Ryan Brady's yard.
> > Managed some acceptable photos through the window, here's one of the
> > better looking ones:
> >
> > http://www.pbase.com/nanich/image/141709887
> >
> >
> > Or the whole gallery:
> >
> > http://www.pbase.com/nanich/hoary_redpoll
> >
> >
> > Nick Anich
> > Ashland, WI
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