[texbirds] Re: Willow and Alder Flycatchers
- From: Keith Arnold <kbarnold2@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Graham Floyd <spcgraham.floyd@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 18:26:42 -0500
I know of no way to distinguish these two species on morphological
characters, at least in the field. I would only call to species if I heard
the distinctive call notes.
Keith Arnold
Bryan/TSMU
On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 5:44 PM, Graham Floyd <spcgraham.floyd@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> #3. I noticed the same thing early last year when studying for my Big
> Year. I don't trust any of the Alder Flycatcher records that don't
> specifically mention the call was heard. Alder is still gonna be a lifer
> hopefully next spring here in Florida. Why are cryptic species not flagged
> on eBird?
>
> Graham Floyd,
> Fort Walton Beach, Florida
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Sep 22, 2014, at 4:31 PM, Steven Glover <stevenglover99@xxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
> >
> > Hi all,
> > There have been a few recent posts involving Willow and Alder Flycatchers
> > and how to identify them. Those messages, in combination with my
> reviewing
> > of Ebird records, has led me to post this.
> >
> > Ignoring the fact that some of these birds turn out to be wood-pewees and
> > surely many others are different species of *empidonax *or even Eastern
> > Phoebes, I will assume for a minute that these birds are correctly
> > identified down to the species pair of Willow/Alder.
> >
> > I think it is fair to say that the separation of silent individuals is
> > close to impossible with any certainty and yet the Ebird files for
> > North-central Texas are filled with birds identified to species. Equally
> > disturbing, there are very few records in which the observer took the
> > conservative approach and chose Willow/Alder. Since almost none of the
> > records have attached notes mentioning that they heard a song, I can only
> > assume that the observer either heard a song and didn't put it in the
> > comments, didn't hear a song but picked one or the other based on a
> > supposition that only one species is expected at a certain date, or
> thinks
> > that he or she can correctly identify silent individuals. And, of course,
> > it may also be true that some observers are simply too inexperienced to
> > realize the perils of these identifications.
> >
> > I'm not just pointing fingers here: When I started to review all of the
> > Ebird records for North-central Texas I found a couple of fall sightings
> > with my name on them that didn't mention why I identified the bird as one
> > or the other.
> >
> > So my primary questions are these: 1) Is there some conventional wisdom
> > about the timing of these birds that leads many to believe one is
> > significantly more likely on certain dates? 2) Are observers using field
> > marks they believe are reliable in separating these birds? Or 3) Do we
> just
> > have a natural distaste for leaving some birds misidentified?
> >
> > Whatever the answer, I am not sure there is a solid basis for naming at
> > least the vast majority of birds to the species level when they are
> silent
> > and I would like to encourage others to resist the temptation to do so.
> >
> > I welcome opinions as I feel this is a topic that is begging to be
> > discussed.
> >
> > Steven Glover
> > Fort Worth, TX
> >
> >
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