[obol] Re: Eugene Red-naped Sapsucker Photos
- From: Thomas Meinzen <thomasmeinzen@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: David Irons <llsdirons@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2015 21:02:17 -0700
Thanks for the comments on this bird, Dave. A trihybrid cross is certainly
an interesting proposition, and quite possible, although seemingly
implausible, considering the rarity of both Yellow-bellied and Red-naped
Sapsucker in this part of Oregon.
I've included more photos to show the sapsuckers' back at this link:
https://picasaweb.google.com/116543486500187950130/EugeneRedNapedSapsucker3815?authuser=0&feat=directlink
As you can see most of the back consists of the typical Red-naped Sapsucker
pattern of two white lines, not golden-buff almost completely across, as
the profile photos might have suggested. Although the white pattern gets a
bit messier lower down, my experience with pure Red-naped Sapsuckers in the
interior west is that this is pretty typical.
Also, I would not say that there is significant red in the
supercilium—perhaps a touch at the very end, near the nape, but that is
all. So while it's possible that Red-breasted Sapsucker is somewhere in the
lineage, I'm not sure if a hybrid is right there, either.
Anyway, it's an interesting bird to consider! I'd be happy to hear what
people think, based on the additional dorsal view.
Cheers,
Thomas Meinzen
Eugene
On Sun, Mar 8, 2015 at 10:53 PM, David Irons <llsdirons@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> Thomas,
>
> Whenever I hear the report of a Red-naped Sapsucker in western Oregon, my
> antennae go up. I generally expect to find photos of a Red-naped Sapsucker
> X Red-breasted Sapsucker, as this cross appears west of the Cascades far
> more often than do 'pure' Red-napeds.
>
> When I looked at your photo, I was pleasantly surprised to not find an
> obvious Red-naped X Red-breasted hybrid, but I am inclined to think this is
> still might be a hybrid. The back pattern–barred with golden-buff almost
> completely across–is suggestive of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Also, this
> bird seems to show a fair amount of juvenile-like plumage, which should be
> long gone on a pure Red-naped. Something about the face pattern also didn't
> look right. It seems a bit too white dominant for and the black patch on
> the auriculars is not solid as it wraps down onto the side of the neck.
>
> There are, however, a couple of flies in the ointment of my hybrid theory.
> First, there is a bit of red feathering in the anterior section of the
> white supercilium. This is typical of Red-naped X Red-breasted hybrids and
> should not occur on either Yellow-bellied or Red-naped, so it doesn't make
> sense that a hybrid of these two species would yield a bird with red in the
> white supercilium. Secondly, the red on the nape seems a bit too extensive
> for a even a pure Red-naped Sapsucker and since Yellow-bellied has no red
> on the nape, why would a hybrid show more extensive red than either parent
> species?
>
> Below are links to three photos of putative Red-naped Sapsucker X
> Yellow-bellied Sapsucker hybrids. Both show back patterns, head patterns
> (sans red in supercilium and extensive red on the nape) that are similar to
> your bird, along with plumage suggestive of retained juvenile feathers.
> Only Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers retain juvenile plumage through their first
> winter and into early spring. The two other species in this complex have a
> complete formative molt in fall that results in them looking mostly like
> adults by mid-October.
>
>
> http://utahbirders.blogspot.com/2013/04/2013-gunnison-sage-grouse-days-recap.html
> you need to scroll down about two pages to find the image of the putative
> hybrid sapsucker.
>
> http://birdseye.photo/photo/33804/
>
> https://www.flickr.com/photos/36088296@N08/10075053945/
>
> Given that this bird has unexpected red in the supercilium and more
> extensive red on the nape than what seems typical for Red-naped, I have to
> wonder if this bird is a mix of all three species, with one parent being a
> 'pure' Yellow-bellied and the other parent being a Red-naped Sapsucker X
> Red-breasted Sapsucker hybrid. That would certainly explain the red in the
> supercilium and extensive red on the nape. Red-naped X Red-breasteds abound
> along a broad zone of contact between these two species and Yellow-bellied
> Sapsuckers are annual vagrants to Oregon, with many overwintering birds
> lingering right up to the onset of the breeding season. It's hardly
> implausible to such a pairing could occur in Oregon or nearby.
>
> This is certainly an interesting bird that isn't easily slotted into a
> particular species. For what it's worth, Shawneen took a quick look at this
> and felt it didn't look right for a pure Red-naped. Being infinitely wiser
> than me, she moved on to other projects rather than joining me on a trip
> down the mineshaft of sapsucker hybridization. If you can get more photos
> of this bird, I would certainly like to see them. Assessing the parentage
> of hybrids is by no mean an exact science and the genetic introgression in
> this group of species makes it doubly hard. My conclusions about this bird
> are speculative and thus debatable.
>
> Dave Irons
> Portland, OR
>
> ------------------------------
> Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2015 21:00:15 -0700
> Subject: [obol] Eugene Red-naped Sapsucker Photos
> From: thomasmeinzen@xxxxxxxxx
> To: obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
> Here are a couple of the best photos of the Red-naped Sapsucker in my
> friend's north Eugene yard this afternoon:
>
> <https://goog_231843407>
>
> https://plus.google.com/photos/116543486500187950130/albums/6124076607327736161?authkey=CMj60aWykZjyXA
>
> Cheers,
> Thomas Meinzen
> Eugene
>
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