According to Pyle and Sibley and the Bird Banding Lab, one can not safely call a Western on visual. At least two measurements are required. Plumage and bill characteristics can provide some additional help but feather wear, age and known geographic variations make such a call iffy at best without the vocalization.
Always good to check out a possible. Thanks Chris. John --- John and Sue Gregoire Field Ornithologists Kestrel Haven Migration Observatory 5373 Fitzgerald Rd Burdett, NY 14818 42.443508000, -76.758202000 On 2018-10-21 16:13, Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes wrote: > Only spreading the word... > > Better to inform of a possible good bird now (even if proven to be common > Eastern), than find out about a possible good bird that was later determined > to be good, well after the fact... > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Oct 21, 2018, at 12:00, "k...@empacc.net" <k...@empacc.net> wrote: > > What makes you think this is a Western?Unless things have changed one can't > make the call by eyeball as at least two measurements are required. Plumage > and bill charcateritics can provide some help but feather wear, age and known > geo variations make that iffy at best. > John > > --- > John and Sue Gregoire > Field Ornithologists > Kestrel Haven Migration Observatory > 5373 Fitzgerald Rd > Burdett, NY 14818 > 42.443508000, -76.758202000 > On 2018-10-21 15:50, Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes wrote: > > -- > > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm > > ARCHIVES: > 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html [1] > 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds [2] > 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html [3] > > Please submit your observations to eBird: > http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > > -- Links: ------ [1] http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html [2] http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds [3] http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
