[obol] Beach bird mystery

[Jeff Gilligan]

Who has the specimen? I can pick it up and get it to a museum if necessary.

Jeff Gilligan


On 5/23/07 10:45 AM, "Mike Patterson" <celata at pacifier.com> wrote:

> I think an important piece of this mystery that is deceptive
> from the "blowing up" of the image.  This is a SMALL bird.
> The wing length excludes all flycatchers except Empidonax.
> The length of the entire bird is less than 15cm (less than
> 6 inches).
> 
> So, this is either one of the big-billed Empidonax (Western,
> Yellow-bellied, Acadian or Traill's) or a strange Eurasian
> stray....
> 
> Yes, someone should try to salvage this bird.
> 
> david tracy wrote:
>> 
>> Interesting specimen.  I agree with Shawneen that the underparts and
>> crown would probably not have looked so black on a living bird.
>> 
>> The lower mandible looks yellowish, and the description at:  http://
>> home.pacifier.com/~neawanna/temp/smith_flyc.html
>> suggests the upper wing was plain olive-brown without wing bars.  Has
>> anyone thought about it being a _Contopus_ type flycatcher?
>> 
>> Dave
>> 
>> david tracy
>> davect at bendnet.com
>> Bend, OR
>>