[texbirds] Tropical Mockingbird Update
- From: John Whittle <johnawhittle@xxxxxxx>
- To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2012 00:01:27 -0400 (EDT)
On July 3, the female Tropical Mockingbird was feeding the two fledglings just
inside the gate at Sabine Woods (Jefferson County) as they ranged quite widely
including perching in Lantana at waist level west of the entrance and high up
in the oak trees at the gate. They are flying strongly now, and are clearly
capable of flights of considerable distance, should they choose to do so. Only
the female was observed to be feeding the young birds.
Shirley Wilkerson on July 2 posted on TEXBIRDS a link to a good photograph on
one of the young birds. The young birds clearly have two narrow wing bars
formed by white tips of the secondary coverts. Such wing bars are commonly
seen on Northern Mockingbirds, and also appear to be present in photographs of
freshly plumaged Tropical Mockingbirds. Shirley's photo tends to suggest a
diffuse light patch on the folded wing on the primary coverts (where the white
wing patch of a Northern Mockingbird would be). However, in flight, the young
birds did not show a sharply defined contrasting white patch on the upper
surface of the wing. In flight, the tails of the young birds showed quite
broad white edges on the outer feathers, not the white tipped feathers of the
Tropical Mockingbird. The very dark wings of the Tropical Mockingbird are
probably what caused it to be noticed in the first place. It is difficult to
evaluate shades of gray on these young birds, but they do not stand out as very
dark at this stage.
The male Golden-fronted Woodpecker was present and seen, but only called once
in the hour or so that I was birding. The female was not seen, nor were there
any calls emanating from the presumed nest hole. (There were many calling
young birds elsewhere in the woods, apparently including more than one brood of
Yellow-billed Cuckoos, one brood of Eastern Kingbirds, a number of already
fledged Brown Thrashers, and innumerable Orchard Orioles.)
John A. Whittle
Nederland, TX
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