Quiz #415 (2011-3-10) Solution

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Solution by Peter Wilkinson and Tony Leukering

While all respondents agreed that this week's quiz bird was a raptor, there was wide disagreement as to exactly which species, which is a common theme of this quiz and of birding. Raptors are not well-known, particularly perched ones. Peter Wilkinson submitted an excellent answer, with which I'll start this solution.

"Ah, a bird of prey (those feet, that bill), but from an unusual angle (to say the least). The basic clues we have are tail shape and pattern, the colour of the underparts, and the pattern of some wing coverts on the left wing, which are, fortunately, enough to go on. The tail is extremely useful. The shape of the individual feathers makes it clear that the bird is a buteo of some sort. Then there is the pattern of a large number of wide pale bars separated by thin dark bars, with no obvious broader dark sub-terminal bar (though one should probably not bet too hard on that). Fortunately, many of the buteos show quite distinctive tail patterns and the only real candidates showing such a pattern are juvenile Swainson's and Red-tailed hawks. Given the colour morphs of both species and the variety of subspecies of Red-tailed the underparts are probably not going to help us much, though it has to be said that what we can see is classic for pale-morph Red-tails. Fortunately, there is a clincher. We can see just enough of some wing coverts on the left wing to make out that they are barred. These are diagnostic of Red-tail, being plain in Swainson's."

Chishun Kwong used an old saw to get to the correct answer -- it's surprising how often it works!

"This week's quiz bird is a Red-tailed Hawk, because every hawk (well, buteo anyway) is a Red-tailed Hawk until proven otherwise, and I can't."

I would like to reiterate a point that Peter made: tail pattern rules out most ABA-area buteos. Additionally, Red-shouldered Hawk never has this pale of a throat, not such white underparts. Juvenile Broad-winged Hawks with breasts this unmarked would also have the rest of the underparts mostly unmarked. Juvenile Swainson's Hawks are exceedingly variable in appearance, but they tend to cream-colored of buffy ground color on the underparts, except when quite worn and bleached, a time at which birds with bright white chests also sport fairly white heads. If one found oneself in the falcon camp (though, as Peter noted, the width of the individual tail feathers rules out that option), Prairie Falcon shows streaks (juveniles) or spots (adults) on the underparts, not broad bars. Finally, the pale throat, distinct belly band, dark auriculars, and nearly unmarked leggings point to the widespread eastern subspecies borealis.

One respondent got the species correct, but proposed an incorrect estimation of form directly in the answer, so was considered incorrect (please read the rules!). Steve Mlodinow took this picture of a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk at Boulder, Boulder Co., CO, in April 2011.

With three quizzes to go in the quarter, the competition leader board is headed by Robert McNab and Diane Porter with 9 correct responses.

Incorrect species provided as answers:
Krider's Red-tailed Hawk - 1
Prairie Falcon - 1
Osprey - 1
Broad-winged Hawk - 3
Swainson's Hawk - 1
Red-shouldered Hawk - 1

Congratulations to the 15 of 23 getting the quiz correct:
Nick Komar
Devich Farbotnik
Ira Sanders
Tammy Sanders
Dave Elwonger
Al Guarente
Su Snyder
Diane Porter
Pam Myers
Thomas Hall
Kirk Huffstater
Robert McNab
Peter Wilkinson
Chuck Carlson
Chishun Kwong

Answer: Red-tailed Hawk

Quiz #414 (2011-3-09) Solution

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Respondents need identify only the flying birds; an extra bonus point will be given to those with the correct ID of the swimming bird; no penalty is attached to incorrect attempts at that ID.

Solution by Tony Leukering

Though I usually avoid such for this venue, the hidden bird in this week's quiz is right in the middle and not hiding at all. Of course, the posture of the bird does not allow much in the way of showing off ID characters, but there is enough to go on. So, before you read further, go ogle the picture to see if you can find the hidden bird.

Most of the birds in the picture are readily identifiable to a particular species, as they sport the distinct white wedge in the outer wing, black tips to the outer and middle primaries, and pale gray upperparts of Bonaparte's Gulls. Please note that though a bird here and there may seem to exhibit dark on the underwing, that is all an artifact of shading; none of the small gulls are Black-headed Gulls. At least seven of the birds show the black robber's mask, uncontrasting pale wingtip, and/or the narrower-winged look of basic-plumaged Forster's Terns, with all seven of those birds being in the left half of the photo. Note also that all of the terns are smaller and more pointier-winged than are the Bonaparte's Gulls.

Skipping ahead, the caveat with the quiz photo asks for the identity of the one swimming bird, but with no penalty for incorrect responses. That is because the bird is out of focus and large white-headed gulls are hard enough to ID without an out-of-focus and small image. However, I believe that the whitish head on an obviously immature bird in winter, the extensively black and large bill, and the fairly short wingtips all point to Great Black-backed Gull. In fact, I know that is the correct ID, as I took the picture in my back yard in Villas, Cape May Co., NJ, on 1 March 2011.

Now, on to the hidden bird right in the middle. Below, I have cropped and enlarged the middle section of the quiz that includes the swimming bird and the hidden bird. The hidden bird is not all that hidden. I have indicated three Forster's Terns (FOTE) in the left side. Note the bird smack dab in the middle that is small and pale like a Forster's Tern, but with wingtips that are even more rounded than on the Bonaparte's Gulls. Also note that there is no contrasting white wedge in the wingtip, as shown by the Bonaparte's Gulls, and the fairly short tail. This combination of features allows us to identify the beast as an adult Little Gull (LIGU). Ross's Gull is ruled out by the tail length and shape.

This picture points out one of the items that I stressed in the gull-ID workshops that I gave in Colorado: Identify every individual; don't assume that all birds in a flock are of the same species.

Ten respondents provided no incorrect species for the flying birds, but did not provide enough correct answers, with most of those missing the Little Gull. Interestingly enough, one of them missed the Forster's Terns, but I do congratulate that respondent for finding and correctly identifying the Little Gull! Excellent work, there! Five respondents got the extra-credit question correct.

Incorrect species provided as answers:
Black-headed Gull - 3
Gull-billed Tern - 1

Congratulations to the 1 of 15 getting the quiz correct:
Devich Farbotnik (who also got all fours species correct)

Answer: Bonaparte's Gull, Little Gull, Forster's Tern with Great Black-backed Gull