Quiz #447 (2012-2-05) Solution

Click on picture(s) for a larger view.

Solution by Tony Leukering

With apologies to Francis Pharcellus Church -- No, Peter, there are no remains of a dead Gray Catbird.

Peter Wilkinson reported spending hours searching this week's quiz photo for another subject, perhaps one in the middle of the frame. He suggested that there might be the remains of dead Gray Catbird in it, but he could find no other birds than the one for which he submitted the correct species name. As far as I know, there is only one bird in the image. Previous tricky quizzes with well-off-center subjects have gotten the regulars being quite careful with photos such as this. In one respondent's case, perhaps a bit too careful, as that person provided an answer with two species. Another respondent, this one providing the correct answer, thought that, perhaps, the autofocus had focused on the wrong subject. But, as can be seen here, the subject -- which is the quiz bird -- is in focus. Manual focus, considering all the other stuff in the frame on which autofocus could focus and the well-off-center position of the photo's subject. In fact, I took this picture specifically this way specifically for this venue.

Our quiz bird has a long neck, long legs, and plumage that is nearly uniformly blue. While Reddish Egret and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron might be considered, the former is more blue-gray with a reddish-orange neck and the latter has extensive pale fringing on wing and upperparts feathers. Great Blue Heron is also ruled out by the uniformity of color, as adults have a neck paler than the back, while youngsters -- which have darker necks -- have grayer body plumage. This leaves us with Little Blue and Tricolored (notice the lack of a hyphen!) herons as options. While having a better view of the front of the bird would make it quite simple to decide between these two, we have enough features to make a decision. Careful scrutiny of the neck might reveal a strong maroon or purple aspect to the color, but even a quick glance at the tertials area shows the all-blue plumage of a Little Blue Heron, not the buffy patch of a Tricolored. Additionally, the bird's legs do not seem to be either reddish or yellow and even with the awkward view, we would probably see some indication of the pattern on the side of the neck of a Tricolored if it were so.

I took this picture of an adult Little Blue Heron at Cox Hall Creek WMA, Cape May Co., NJ, on 27 April 2011.

Incorrect species provided as answers:
Limpkin - 1
Tricolored Heron - 1

Congratulations to the 25 of 27 getting the quiz correct:
Kirk Huffstater
Christian Nunes
Nick Komar
Al Guarente
Ben Coulter
George Cresswell
Logan Kahle
Patty McKelvey
Burke Angstman
Robert McNab
Richard Jeffers
Bill Blackburn
Margie Joy
Peter Wilkinson
Margaret Smith
Thomas Hall
Pam Myers
Bryan Guarente
Joe Bens
Lisa Francis
Marcel Such
Stuart Hopper
Joel Such
Jim Kopitzke

Answer: Little Blue Heron

Quiz #446 (2012-2-04) Solution

Click on picture(s) for a larger view.

Solution by Tony Leukering

A flock of ducks winging by often presents little time to adequately assess the species makeup involved... unless you get pictures. With our birds frozen in time, we have quite a bit of time (nearly a week) to ogle the picture and ponder the possibilities.

As noted by all respondents, American Wigeon provides the anchor to our eight-bird flock, with four easily-noted males with their "baldpate" head patterns. When American Wigeon are present, it is always a good idea to check for Eurasian Wigeon, even among the females. As our quiz picture was taken from beneath flying birds, we have an excellent opportunity to be sure whether that Old World species is represented or not, as axillar color is an excellent field mark. Looking at the definite male American Wigeons, we can see white in the axillar region of three of them (the other has one wing in a wrong position to assess the character and the other underwing shaded to obscure it). Eurasian Wigeons sport non-contrasting gray axillars. The top-left bird has contrasting white axillars and a gray-brown head, so that one is a female American Wigeon. The individual duck that is mostly hidden has the slightly-longer central rectrices typical of female wigeons (rather than the somewhat-more-elongated central rectrices of male wigeons). It also has the mottled brown flanks of a female, unlike the smooth pinkish-brown flank of male American Wigeon. Finally, it sports the bright white axillars of an American Wigeon, so a second female American. The top-right bird has a typical female wigeon tail, but the head and chest are concolorous (and brown) and the wings lack any bright white underneath. Our careful analysis of the flock has been rewarded: a female-plumaged Eurasian Wigeon!

At this point, we might discontinue our analysis, as we've found our rarity. But, as noted many times in this venue, when looking at a flock of birds, it is always a good idea to attempt identification of every individual. Yes, we've already found a "good" bird, but that does not mean that there are not two good birds; or even three. I used this picture because it had what I considered the obvious different bird, but also included one that I thought might be overlooked once the odd bird out had been found. Indeed, for this quiz picture, it was true; I just had things backward as to which was the obvious odd duck out. The bottom bird has yellowish (perhaps, with an orange tinge) legs, immediately ruling out any wigeon and leaving us with darned few choices. Mallards have orange legs, so that option should be eliminated by that feature, alone. I understand, however, that color-tone perception is not everyone's skill, particularly males, who seem more prone to various forms of color blindness. But, we do not have to rely on leg color for this ID, for at least a couple of reasons. The tail does not look white, though it is in shadow and we may not be able to discern its true color -- it is paler than the undertail coverts, though. However, we can look at the bird's wing linings and note that the leading edges are dusky, as are the greater secondary coverts and the primary coverts; Mallards sport gleaming white wing linings. With the orange on the bill, we have just one option, Gadwall. But, as noted by one alert respondent, the bird has an apparent black undertail covert region, which would be anomalous for a female Gadwall and male Gadwalls don't have black bills. At least, they don't once they reach adulthood. This bird is probably an immature male that has molted in a black vent, but whose bill has not yet changed from its juvenile color and pattern (this could also explain the apparently palish tail, as immature ducks tails wear and bleach fairly rapidly). I took this picture of six American Wigeon, one Eurasian Wigeon, and one Gadwall from the hawkwatch platform at Cape May Point S. P., Cape May Co., NJ, on 9 November 2011.

Six respondents got no species incorrect, but provided answers with too few species, usually missing the Eurasian Wigeon.

Incorrect species provided as answers:
Mallard - 5
Green-winged Teal - 1

Congratulations to the 13 of 24 respondents getting the quiz correct:
Tyler Bell
Ben Coulter
Kirk Huffstater
Thomas Hall
Logan Kahle
Nick Komar
Margaret Smith
Christian Nunes
Robert McNab
Peter Wilkinson
Bryan Guarente
Joe Bens
Sean Walters

Answer: American Wigeon, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall