The bill color is wrong. McCay’s have a dark bill.

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> On Oct 12, 2018, at 12:36 PM, Erik Hendrickson 
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> <mcbunt.jpg>
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>    McKay's Bunting, Kenai/Soldotna Cannery Flats, 12/26/2011
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> <mcbunt 2.jpg>
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>> On Thursday, October 11, 2018 at 2:02:01 PM UTC-6, Joe Roller wrote:
>> I received the photo (below) from Dave Hyde, taken in Nederland Oct 10, by a 
>> nameless photographer.
>> 
>> It's an intriguing bird, so I thought I'd share it on COBirds.
>> My first reaction was leucistic Dark-eyed Junco. Leucistic, not albino, 
>> based on 
>> the dark iris and black on wings. Albino would be all white and have a pink 
>> iris. However (by coincidence I think), 
>> it does come close to what a breeding plumage McKay's Bunting would look 
>> like! 
>> Why is it not a McKay's Bunting? That species molts to non-breeding plumage 
>> in August, per Sibley,
>> plus it's an Alaskan bird with only a few reports from the coast of 
>> Washington and Oregon (per
>> eBird) and I see no reports from farther south or east of there.
>> 
>> Snow and McKay's Buntings have dinky, dark bills, and the mystery bird shows 
>> a larger, pale bill,
>> compatible with leucistic junco.
>> 
>> THANKS, Dave, for presenting this puzzle.
>> 
>> Joe Roller, Denver
>> 
>> 
> 
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> <mcbunt.jpg>
> <mcbunt 2.jpg>

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