Quiz #416 (2011-3-11) Solution

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Solution by Tony Leukering

Respondents were split with this week's quiz bird between Empidonax flycatchers and vireos, with most opting for the latter, though with four species of vireo submitted as answers. Presumably, the thicker bill with a strong point and no yellow on the mandible and the bluish legs were features that those in the vireo camp used to arrive at that destination. Empidonax tends to black legs, with Least and Gray having decidedly black legs. The strong gray and white tones to the bird encouraged most respondents into the Plumbeous/Gray/Bell's trichotomy (Cassin's always shows yellowy-green flanks, at least), with the majority selecting the correct option. As Thomas Hall noted, "The double broken eye-ring leaves only one choice."

Yes, focusing on the face, we can see that the bird has a white supraloral area -- which all three sport to some extent -- and a very thin dark eyeline splitting the eye ring both in front and behind and creating eye arcs. Plumbeous' eye ring is split only in front and Gray's eye ring is complete. So, two breaks = Bell's; one break = Plumbeous; and zero breaks = Gray.

Steve Mlodinow took this picture of a Least Bell's Vireo near the tip of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Mexico, in March 2011.

Incorrect species provided as answers:
Least Flycatcher - 1
Gray Vireo - 5
Plumbeous Vireo - 2
Gray Flycatcher - 1
Cassin's Vireo - 1

Congratulations to the 15 of 25 getting the quiz correct:
Tyler Bell
Patty McKelvey
Devich Farbotnik
Diane Porter
Pam Myers
George Cresswell
Su Snyder
Josh Parks
Christian Nunes
Jim Nelson
Peter Wilkinson
Thomas Hall
Robert McNab
Marcel Such
Chishun Kwong

Answer: Bell's Vireo

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