Hello all, Just to keep everyone up on the Shrike thread --I put Shai's and Kevin McGowan's emails (with photo attachments of the bird) to ID-Frontiers to see what some of the best around the U.S. and the world have to say on the Jones Beach Shrike. I have not heard from Pyle yet.
So far, Loggerhead Shrike votes 5 Northern Shrike votes 0 I can forward individual responses if need be to people (when they are done coming in), but one person said "definitely Loggerhead, and I've banded 100's of Northern Shrikes". As for some of the contrasty traits, a couple have mentioned that it's a 1st cycle bird that has retained some late Juvy characteristics (incomplete mask and chest barring) and that this isn't all that uncommon. As for the two-toned bill, one mentioned that this could have something to do with subspecific status but they did not see this as a concern --there are several Loggerhead subspecies. As for the hooked bill, you can find plenty of Loggerheads with the hooked bill appearance. I liken this to the difference between small billed Type 3 Red Crossbills and medium billed Type 1 Red Crossbills. Small billed Type 3 pretty much hook right away where as Type 1 are straight and then hook ( we're only talking mm in differences between these two call types). If you look at the bill of the Jones Beach bird, the bill is short and stubby and hooks almost right away. Northerns have a straight bill and then they hook...hence, they are much longer billed bird IMO. At first, I myself thought it must be a small Northern, but the more you look at the bird the more it screams Loggerhead IMO. I'll run a final tally and let everyone know when the votes run dry. cheers, Matt -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web LIVE – Free email based on Microsoft® Exchange technology - http://link.mail2web.com/LIVE -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
