Quiz #456 (2012-3-01) Solution

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Solution by Tony Leukering and Sean Walters

All eight of this week's quiz birds are of very similar size and shape, so they must be of the same species or of incredibly similar species if there are multiple species present. Of course, since these are shorebirds, we know that there are certainly sets of very similar species, particularly in the small Calidris sandpipers (Semipalmated/Western/Red-necked/Little and White-rumped/Baird's). We could spend hours studying the picture and I could spend hours discoursing on why this species or that species is not included in this picture, but I think that I will take Sean Walters' tack to the correct answer. Sean wrote

"... only one Calidris species has a completely gray underwing. All of the birds have completely gray underwings, so they are all of the same species."

Good for you, Sean, particularly as that was the very reason that I used this photo, as all similar species have extensive amounts of white on the underwing. All eight birds are showing, to greater or lesser extent, their underwings, making the ID straightforward. I took this picture of Red Knots on 26 September 2011 at Stone Harbor Point, Cape May Co., NJ. Note: multiple respondents provided answers including more than one species, hence the disconnect between numbers of respondents and numbers of answers.

Incorrect species provided as answers:
White-rumped Sandpiper - 4
Western Sandpiper - 1
Baird's Sandpiper - 2
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 2
Sanderling - 1
Pectoral Sandpiper - 1

Congratulations to the 13 of 19 getting the quiz correct:
Al Guarente
Margaret Smith
Kirk Huffstater
Ben Coulter
Richard Jeffers
Margie Joy
Logan Kahle
Sean Walters
Su Snyder
Pam Myers
Peter Wilkinson
Josh Yoder
Bryan Guarente

Answer: Red Knot

Quiz #455 (2012-2-13) Solution

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Solution by Tony Leukering

Our quiz bird is flying at us, and one of the features that jumps out is the two bands on the chest. Ah, Killdeer. Unfortunately, things aren't quite that straightforward because, despite David Sibley's comment in his guide about the Killdeer's "two dark bands unique," they are not. There is another species covered in that guide that also has two dark chest bands. Granted, it's not a shorebird, which is probably what David was implying, but many might infer from those words that it was absolutely unique. The other species to consider is Belted Kingfisher, and a female of the species at that.

Comparing the features of the two really point out the amazing number of features that the two species share. In addition to the two dark bands, their underparts are otherwise nearly entirely white, the dark auriculars contrast with a white lower face, there is white above and in front of the eye, and they have extensive white bases to the primaries. While some respondents would have gotten to the correct answer on the strength of minor aspects of head pattern, the most obvious separating character is one that, perhaps, no one studied on this quiz picture: the tail. The underside of Killdeer's folded tail is nearly entirely white, thanks to the extensive white on that species' outermost rectrices. Thus, from the lower dark band on the chest, Killdeer shows white on the underside all the way to the tail tip. Conversely, Belted Kingfisher's tail is primarily dark and contrasts with the bird's white vent and undertail coverts.

I took this picture of a female Belted Kingfisher at the hawkwatch platform at Cape May Point S. P., Cape May Co., NJ, on 9 September 2011. One incorrect respondent's answer lacked a capitalized 'k.'

With this quiz being the final quiz of the quarter, it is time to award the quarterly prize, a year's membership in the Colorado Field Ornithologists and receipt of its quarterly journal, Colorado Birds. Two regulars tied this quarter with perfect 13-of-13 scores, Ben Coulter and Robert McNab. So, the toss of the coin results in...



the winner being Robert McNab! Congrats to Robert for finally breaking through for a win after being high on the leader board for many, many quarters! Richard Jeffers came in a very close second with 12 of 12 submitted answers correct.

Incorrect species provided as answer(s):
Killdeer - 4

Congratulations to the 16 of 20 getting the quiz correct:
Kirk Huffstater
Al Guarente
Tyler Bell
Bryan Guarente
Robert McNab
Thomas Hall
Ben Coulter
Richard Jeffers
Josh Yoder
Margaret Smith
Sean Walters
Nick Komar
Su Snyder
Margie Joy
Chishun Kwong
Joe Bens

Answer: Belted Kingfisher