[texbirds] More on the SPI Golden-cheeked Warbler

  • From: "" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender "MiriamEagl@xxxxxxx" for DMARC)
  • To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2014 19:45:52 -0400 (EDT)

Hi, all!
 
I've gotten permission from Jim Booker's friend Steve Bailey to post his  
thoughts on the SPI Goldencheek, so here they are.
 
MB
 
 
Mary Beth  Stowe
McAllen, TX
_www.miriameaglemon.com_ (http://www.miriameaglemon.com/) 



 
Hi Mary Beth and  Jim, 
Before giving my  assessment, I must qualify it by saying that I am less an 
‘expert’ on  Golden-cheeked Warbler than on most other birds.  My only 
field experience  with that species was way back on 22 May 1978, when I heard 
three singing adult  males and saw one of them well at Kerr Wildlife 
Management Area.  That was  36 years ago and I’ve seen over 7,400 birds since 
then.  
Even if my memory  were recent it would be irrelevant because I only saw a 
singing adult  male.  Jim also values my opinion in part because I’ve worked 
with about ½  million bird museum study skins.  However, I’ve probably 
handled fewer than  ten Golden-cheeked Warbler specimens and I have never 
seriously studied them in  detail.  Quite possibly I have never even seen a 
specimen in the plumage  shown in these photos, not because the plumage is 
unusual 
but because my  experience is so limited.  Okay, that having been said . . 
.  . 
Nice photos!  They  make identification so much more reliable in cases such 
as  this. 
I say it is a  Golden-cheeked Warbler, by plumage a first basic plumage 
female.  Mary Beth  hit all the salient plumage characters of the face pattern 
and the lack of  yellow vent or any other yellowish wash on the white 
underparts.  The  presence of yellowish on the throat itself and the 
‘barely-there’
 dusky streaks  in the back are appropriate for a first basic 
Golden-cheeked Warbler.  I  also wonder whether the dark center streaks in the 
longer 
undertail coverts  further support the case for Golden-cheeked, as I think that 
may be another  useful difference between Golden-cheeked and Black-throated 
Green.  Plus,  of course, it makes much more sense for a young 
Golden-cheeked Warbler to be on  the south Texas coast in early July than a 
first basic  
Black-throated Green Warbler; the fall migration timings should be very  
different, with young Black-throated Green Warblers arriving much  later. 
That’s my opinion, for  what it’s worth. 
Cheers, 
Steve  Bailey 
 
  
____________________________________

From: James  Booker [mailto:James.Booker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Monday, July 07, 2014 6:09  AM
To:  MiriamEagl@xxxxxxx
Cc: Stephen  F. Bailey (sfbailey@xxxxxxxxxxx)
Subject: greetings from Jim  Booker
Very  intriguing warbler pics from South Padre, Mary Beth – hope all is 
well with  you.  I must say, at first I thought just a Black-throated Green but 
now my  vote is Golden-cheeked…I have forwarded the link of your photos to 
my greatest  mentor Dr. Stephen Bailey…he should put the matter to rest for 
us.  Curious  how other votes are coming in.  Cheers, long time no see…I am 
still here  east of Dallas  working for Parks and Wildlife.  Jim 



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