I'm going to partially agree and partially disagree with Ross. I think this
bird is an adult female. I base the age on the heavily worn tail feathers
which should be fresh in immature birds but old and showing wear in adults at
this time of year. It is clearly not an adult male. With adult male, immature
male, and immature female eliminated, I think, that leaves adult female. Pyle
mentions 2nd year males, and I can't quite grasp what they might look like, but
the lack of any random red gorget spots would seem to suggest that it probably
isn't that age/sex class. So, assuming it's an adult female, I think it can
IDed as Rufous based on the slight notch in R2. I'm looking forward to hearing
from someone with a lot of in-hand experience with Rufous/Allen's who can give
us a definitive answer, but in the meantime, it's a good learning experience to
try to sort this out on our own.
Thank you to the Armstongs for their hospitality and to everyone who provided
prompt updates.
Photo link with dorsal tail shot added:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/abrees/sets/72157623583459346/detail/
Aaron Brees
Des Moines, IA
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