The only kind of feather wear that indicates captivity would be if it looks exceptionally ratty at the tail tip, often including broken tail feathers. I thought that was what Dan and Erica must have noted to have brought it up.
Most adult songbirds look their worst this time of year. Normal wear and tear may involve a bent tail tip after a bird has been incubating (most especially in cavity nesters) but usually involves just broken barbs here and there, giving the tail a sort of ratty, dull look throughout, and the entire tail often seems a bit faded--UV light takes a toll over a year. I haven't seen the bird myself, but because several people who have seen the bird are specifically noting that the wear and tear seems normal for this time of year and is not consistent with caging, we seem to have our answer. (As a former rehabber, I do know that flycatchers can be maintained in captivity--though why a rehabber would have either a Couch's or a Tropical Kingbird in Minnesota is a question we'll apparently never need to answer.) Laura Erickson Duluth On Sun, Jun 28, 2015 at 11:04 PM, KIm Eckert <[email protected]> wrote: > I don't believe it's been mentioned that there has already been a MN > record of a Tropical/Couch's Kingbird in 2011 in Duluth. The record was > unanimously accepted by MOURC and there was never any discussion of the > bird being an escape. As Bruce points out, the condition of the plumage of > this year's individual is the result of molt and does not suggest prior > captivity. The chances this being an escape are small compared to the high > likelihood of natural vagrancy, which has already occurred here and in > several other states. > > Kim Eckert, Duluth > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On Jun 28, 2015, at 9:53 PM, Bruce Fall <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > The Murphy-Hanrehan kingbird is an adult in advanced pre-basic molt. The > feathers that appear worn (including outer primaries, outer rectrices) are > likely 11-12 months old and their worn and faded appearance is typical of > feathers that age. Photographic evidence shows there were 4 worn, old outer > primaries (p7-10) on 24 June, and only 3 (p8-10) on 27 June (thus p8 was > dropped after 24 June); the inner ones are new, growing, or missing. On > 6/24 the kingbird had only 7 old (worn) rectrices (outer 3 right, 4 left) > out of 12 total; the inner 5 are partly grown or missing. The likelihood > that this insectivore has been raised as a captive for a couple years seems > very remote to me. On the other hand, there is a pattern of vagrancy north > and east of the normal breeding ranges of both Tropical (especially) and > Couch's (and unidentified Tropical/Couch's) kingbirds. An eBird search will > verify this. See also > https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/nab/v052n01/p00006-p00011.pdf > > > > Bruce Fall, Minneapolis > > > > ---- > > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > -- Laura Erickson Duluth, MN For the love, understanding, and protection of birds There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of birds. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature--the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter. —Rachel Carson Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
