[obol] Beach bird mystery

[Dennis P. Vroman]

Having handled a lot of birds (mostly the small types) over the last couple of decades, and blew a lot of body feathers apart to see the skin, I have noticed that the base of the body feathers can be dark with light-colored outer part (the part we would see when watching a bird in the wild).  It's likely the water has exposed the interior of the body feathers.

Dennis


  As Dennis mentioned, this bird appears to be too small to be an Ash-throated Flycatcher.  The tail pattern alone is incorrect for Ash-throated Flycatcher, as there is no rufous on the underside of these feathers.   Ash-throated show a lot of rufous on the underside of the tail, as do the other North American Myiarchus flycatchers, with  the exception of Dusky-capped.  I am not suggesting it is a Dusky-capped, because if the crown color, if it is indeed naturally black and not stained, would be too dark for a Dusky-capped, at least the North American subspecies.  Dusky-capped Flys have big bills but the bill on this bird looks too big, though it may be the angle and the fact that it is falling apart. 


  As for the belly being black AND yellow, it looks like the belly and flank feathers are black at the base and yellow at the tips.  That would mean the underparts would have looked all yellow when it was alive.


  My Identification Guide to North American Birds by Peter Pyle is still packed somewhere in box so I can't reference it at the moment to compare measurements.


  Personally, I would recommend that this bird be salvaged and sent to a museum for identification.


  Shawneen Finnegan
  Portland, Oregon


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