Quiz #419 (2011-4-01) Solution

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Solution by Tony Leukering

The incorrect responses this week serve to highlight the importance in the ID process that all of us place, consciously or not, on size. The respondents would certainly not have made these mistakes in the field. However, our bird's very long tail is also matched by long wings. Additionally, the tail's pale tip is complete, that is, each rectrix is tipped buffy-white, which rules out one of the species with pale tail tips provided as an incorrect response.

We can also see some whitish on the upper wing coverts and some pale shaft streaks on scapulars and some seemingly oddly-placed streak of white near the back of the wings. That white is on the long, nearly-wispy lower scapulars. Because the picture is not focused, we might ignore the appearance of pale bars on at least one of the central rectrices, but the other one seems to have at least a suggestion of same, so perhaps we might want to consider what it would mean if that appearance were reality. So, a long-winged, long-tailed blackish bird with white on the upper wing coverts, white shaft streaks on the scapulars, pale bars on the central rectrices, and buffy-white-tips to same leaves us with only one option. The picture that I took of the quiz bird immediately prior to the quiz picture is provided below.


I took these pictures of a male Anhinga at the Viera Wetlands, Brevard Co., FL, on 27 January 2010.

With one quiz down in the final quarter of the year, Marcel Such and Pam Myers are tied for the annual competition with 32 correct responses; Robert McNab is breathing down their necks with 31.

Incorrect species provided as answers:
Lark Bunting - 1
Red-winged Blackbird - 1
Eastern Kingbird - 1
Gray Jay - 1

Congratulations to the 13 of 16 getting the quiz correct:
Devich Farbotnik
Tyler Bell
Thomas Hall
Robert McNab
Nick Komar
Bryan Guarente
Al Guarente
Marcel Such
George Cresswell
Margaret Smith
Pam Myers
Peter Wilkinson
Liston Rice
Joel Such
Richard Jeffers
Margie Joy
Joe Bens
Sean Walters
Chishun Kwong

Answer: Anhinga

Quiz #418 (2011-3-13) Solution

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Solution by Tony Leukering

Though this week's quiz bird low over the water sent a few respondents into the seabirds for a solution, one managed to get unstuck from that initial assumption to get to the correct answer.

The bird is flying away from us banking hard right. We can see buff-orange wing linings, an orangish belly, and disinct white spots in the rectrices (a large one on each of the middle four tail feathers on each side). For those understanding photographic effect and posture, the long and forked tail were notable. There is only one ABA-area species that sports these features. The very long tail with very large white spots point to the bird being an adult male. I took this picture of an adult male Barn Swallow over Lily Lake, Cape May Point, Cape May Co., NJ, on 22 April 2011.

One respondent included an incorrect assessment of age/plumage directly in the answer, so that person's response was precluded from being correct for the competition. Please read the rules.

With this being the final quiz in the 3rd quarter, it is time to award the prize of a year's membership in the Colorado Field Ornithologists (one perk of which is receipt of the organization's excellent journal, Colorado Birds). Though it was a close-fought battle, Diane Porter pulled it out at the end with 12 correct answers (followed closely by Robert McNab and Marcel Such, each with 11 correct). Congratulations, Diane!

Incorrect species provided as answers:
Sooty Shearwater - 1
Heermann's Gull - 1

Congratulations to the 1 of 15 getting the quiz correct:
Devich Farbotnik
Tyler Bell
Kirk Huffstater
Pam Myers
Su Snyder
Diane Porter
Al Guarente
Ann Reichhardt
Bryan Guarente
George Cresswell
Barn Swallow
Josh Parks
Peter Wilkinson
Bobbie Tilmant
Christopher Hinkle
Thomas Hall
Marcel Such
Nick Komar
Chishun Kwong
Jim Nelson

Answer: Barn Swallow