[texbirds] Brown Pelican with red pouch in non-breeding plumage; another puzzle

From: MBB22222@xxxxxxx
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2013 01:03:21 -0400 (EDT)

Not long time ago I posted here about Brown Pelicans with red pouches on  
Texas coast, including thoughts on Pacific and Atlantic subspecies.
 
Here I have one more puzzle. According to some sources (e.g. The Cornell  
Lab of Ornithology: _http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/brown_pelican/id_ 
(http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/brown_pelican/id) )  -
 
Brown Pelican - Adult breeding Pacific: Bright red throat  pouch. White 
head tinged with yellow. Dark nape. Slaty  gray body with darker belly.
Regional Differences
On the Pacific Coast,  Brown Pelican adults have red skin on their throats 
in the breeding season. On  the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, Brown Pelicans are 
slightly smaller and their  throat skin is greenish black.
 
So look here: in what is considered non-breeding plumage (white nape) this  
individual has red pouch (and also has bright blue iris). This photo 
includes  other pouch color variations found in BRPE breeding and non-breeding 
plumages on  Upper Texas Coast, March 18, 2013, including yellow pouch in 
breeding  plumage.  
 
_http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/149283537/original_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/149283537/original) 
 
Personally I think somebody should take a task to do some genetic work and  
check the actual status of both subspecies and how much gene flow we had 
from  one gene pool to another in past decades. Not to mention checking traits 
of what  we consider as breeding and non-breeding plumages. No matter what 
is a correct  answer right now we have some diagnostic traits messed up. 
 
Mark B Bartosik
Houston, Texas
_http://www.pbase.com/mbb/from_the_field_ 
(http://www.pbase.com/mbb/from_the_field) 

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[texbirds] Brown Pelican with red pouch in non-breeding plumage; another puzzle

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