[TN-Bird] Re: Common Redpolls -- age/sex
- From: <birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bb551@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Tennessee Birds" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 22:12:00 -0600
Bill,
This has definitely been a question since your bird showed up, as Redpolls
can sure be hard to age and sex in the field, except for adult males.
Looking through various reference books, including the gem you mentioned,
doesn't give much detail to go on, only that 1st-winters are very similar to
adult females. The most detailed treatment I've seen on age differences is
the Birds of North America account for Common Redpoll. Also, while pretty
scant on info overall, the recent 'Tanagers, Cardinals, and Finches of the
United States and Canada, The Photographic Guide' by Beadle and Rising also
gives some addtional detail on this, and some nice photos.
Jeff Wilson mentioned in an email to me that he thought it was a 1st-winter
bird. I think several things support this being a Basic 1, or 1st-winter
bird. The obvious brown suffusion to the upper breast, and to a lesser
extent in the flanks is a strong indicator of this being a 1st-winter bird.
This pattern is typical of juvenal and Basic 1 birds, with the following
molt to Definitive adult plumage (July-September) replacing this brown wash
with the white background to the underparts expected of adults. This
information came from the BNA account. Another, more subjective indicator,
is the shape of the tail feathers in the one shot that I got that shows this
to decent effect, though not the best angle (
http://www.pbase.com/mctodd/image/74636822 ). These feathers look to be the
pointed juvenal rectrices, as the replacements will be more rounded. Basic 1
bird occasionally molt one or two of the central rectrices, but basically
the tail isn't molted until the Definitive plumage.
As far as the sex goes, I'll pass on that as well. Some Basic 1 males show a
light pink cast to the chest and rump, but most don't. Otherwise I don't
think there is a difference, or not that I can find. I had thought there
might be a difference in the extent of the red cap, but this doesn't appear
to be the case from any literature I can dig up. Sibley illustrates
1st-winter females having a little less red in the cap, but doesn't go into
any detail.
I wouldn't bet my life on it, but I think it is a 1st-winter bird anyway.
Interesting topic,
Mike Todd
McKenzie, TN
birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.pbase.com/mctodd
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Pulliam" <bb551@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Tennessee Birds" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 5:39 PM
Subject: [TN-Bird] Common Redpolls -- age/sex
>A question that has come up several times: Do male and female first
> winter redpolls look the same? According to Mullarney et al., "Birds
> of Europe," the answer is yes, they do look the same and essentially
> the same as adult females. The only individuals with a reddish flush
> on the breast are adult males. Hence, the age/sex of the Common
> Redpoll in Hohenwald now can't be determined, other than to say it is
> not an adult male.
>
> By the way, this European field guide, sold by Princeton in the US
> and Collins in Europe, is a superb book well worth owning even if you
> don't ever planning on traveling to Europe. Its detailed treatment of
> plumages of different age classes is indispensable. I would never go
> to Pace Point or any other gull hot spot without having it handy.
>
> Bill Pulliam
> Hohenwald TN
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=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================
The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with
first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation.
You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds
you report were seen. The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should
appear in the first paragraph.
_____________________________________________________________
To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
_____________________________________________________________
To unsubscribe, send email to:
tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
______________________________________________________________
TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society
Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
endorse the views or opinions expressed
by the members of this discussion group.
Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
------------------------------
Assistant Moderator Andy Jones
Cleveland, OH
-------------------------------
Assistant Moderator Dave Worley
Rosedale, VA
__________________________________________________________
Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ARCHIVES
TN-Bird Net Archives at //www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/
EXCELLENT MAP RESOURCES
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif
Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com
_____________________________________________________________
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