Paul, John, and Anna

Orange-crowned Warbler (lutescens), Beaverton, Oregon, 4 May 2011 by Greg Gillson.

 

A previous post on subspecies (Why I disagree with Roger Tory Peterson) generated quite a dichotomy of viewpoints on the local birding listserv. It seems that a good number of birders are not anxious to observe so intently as to identify subspecies. They want to, if I may paraphrase, enjoy the beauty of birds without the burden of making it study. Such work would take away their fun.

Of course, I take the opposite view. Learning something new is the ultimate joy, and nothing is more fun than knowledge gained through intense, rigorous study, thought, and observation. I love puzzles and brain teasers. And bird identification can be such a fun mental challenge!

The difference between certain species and subspecies can come down to little more than the annual opinion of a small group of persons on the AOU checklist committee. So, rather than get too technical with subspecies, I will instead treat the birds pictured here more intimately.

Thus, the bird above is not an Orange-crowned Warbler of the subspecies lutescens. This is a photo of Paul. Paul Lutescens.

Paul and his family all look very much alike. While generally olive-green, they are more yellowish throughout than others of their relatives. They are very young-looking; they never turn gray-headed. They always show a broken yellow eyering.

The men in Paul's family are known for their singing. Actually, the other relatives kind of make fun of them. Paul's family sings their little weak trill faster than other relatives do.

Paul and his family build their little summer nest on the Pacific Coast, anywhere from California to SE Alaska. In winter they travel to western Mexico. One year they even visited Guatemala for their winter vacation.

 

Orange-crowned Warbler (orestera), Cooper Mountain, Beaverton, Oregon, 12 May 2011 by Greg Gillson.

 

The bird above is John Orestera. Though to many bird watchers he and his family looks just like Paul Lutescens, John is happy to set things straight. His family genes makes his family slightly gray-headed--not too much, mind you--just the right amount. Some of his family members have yellowish eyerings, some white.

John and his family are taller than their relatives. And they have longer noses. (Don't stare--it's impolite!)

John has a proud family heritage as Mountain Men. His family spends the summers in the Rocky Mountains or Great Basin ranges. He doesn't travel as far south in winter, only going down to Arizona or Texas, or into northern Mexico. One year the family even went to Disneyland for the winter!

 

Orange-crowned Warbler (celata), Newport, Oregon, 14 May 2011 by Greg Gillson.

 

This is Anna. Anna Celata. She and her family have their ancestor's very gray head and white eyering. She takes pride in the fact that someone once mistook her oldest daughter, Jenny, for a Tennessee Warbler. Imagine!

Anna and her family don't like the summer heat. They spend the summers in the cool boreal forests, anywhere from central Alaska east to Quebec. Later in fall than other of their relatives, her family travels south in winter to Florida or the Gulf Coast, Texas, Baja, or sometimes southern Mexico.

Paul, John, and Anna all traveled through western Oregon this May on their way to their summer homes.

Now that you know a little more about them you can be friendly. The next time you see the families of Paul, John, or Anna, don't be snooty and pretend you don't recognize them. "Oh, it's just those Orange-crowned Warblers." You know their full names and what they look like.

Say hello for me.

Friday Foto: American Robin portrait

American Robin, Beaverton, Oregon, 8 April 2011 by Greg Gillson.

 

The white marks on the face of American Robin don't correspond exactly to full feather tracts as named in the "topology" or "parts of a bird" as listed in your field guides.

There is a white spot on the supralorals, another above and to the back of the eye, and a third below the eye, but beyond the limits of an "eye ring."

Telling male from female robins apart by plumage is not always easy. On average, the head of the male is darker than the female. The bill is usually all yellow on the male, while the female's bill has a dark tip (not always easy to tell after the bird has been digging around in the mud with its bill).

We've discussed American Robins in more detail in the past.

Seven methods of identifying birds: Conclusion

Western Meadowlark at Newport, Oregon on 7 March, 2010 by Greg Gillson.

 

We have now concluded the Seven methods of identifying birds.
[Answer to Quiz 7: Turkey Vulture]

To improve your bird identification skills you will want to practice using all 7 of these clues that birds give to you.

How did you do on the quizzes? They were designed to be fairly easy and to show that you already use these 7 methods to some degree.

Remember that your view may not allow you to identify the bird to species with each method. In some cases you may get to just the family, such as nuthatch or gull.

Obviously, if the bird doesn't sing or fly while you observe it, you can't use that method this time.

Let's review, using the bird in the above photo.

The Western Meadowlark in the photo above can be identified using all 7 methods.
1: Color and pattern-- The yellow breast with black breast band instantly identifies this bird as a meadowlark.
2: Structure-- The flat head with sharp pointed bill nearly as long as the head, plump body, and short tail identify this bird as a meadowlark.
3: Feather-by-feather-- The yellow on the submustachial stripe identifies this bird as Western Meadowlark, rather than Eastern Meadowlark. Also, if you could see the outer 3rd tail feather, it would have much less extensive white on it than an Eastern Meadowlark.
4: Sounds-- The flute-like song of Western Meadowlark is quite different from the rising and falling whistle of Eastern Meadowlark.
5: Expectation-- No Eastern Meadowlark has ever been found in the Pacific Northwest. Any meadowlark here must be Western Meadowlark--though you are certainly welcome to look.
6: Behavior-- Lone or paired pudgy, short-tailed birds sitting rather horizontally on a fenceline or telephone wire in open country will separate most meadowlarks from similarly sized and shaped birds, including starlings.
7: Flight-- Meadowlarks fly distinctively in rather level flight with periodic bursts of flapping and brief glides on rounded wings.

Seven methods of identifying birds: #7: Flight style

This post continues the discussion of the Seven methods of identifying birds.
[Answer to Quiz 6: American Dipper]

Flight style

Flight is such an important behavior that I consider it separately. How fast are the wing beats? Are the wing beats continuous or with a pause between bursts? How far above and below the body do the wing strokes go? Is the flight progression straight, undulating, or irregular? Are the wings rounded or pointed? Are the wings held straight out or forward at the wrist and swept back?

Does the bird fly in a flock or singularly? Is the flock 'v' shaped, rounded, or a straggling line?

For more information see the article on separating Cedar Waxwings and Starlings in flight.

Quiz) This bird soars unsteadily for long periods of time, with its wings in a dihedral.

Next: Conclusion

Seven methods of identifying birds: #6: Behavior

This post continues the discussion of the Seven methods of identifying birds.
[Answer to Quiz 5: Western Meadowlark]

Behavior

Observing how birds behave can quickly narrow down a bird to the correct family. Then, even if you don't see all the plumage field marks, you can still identify it based on minimal plumage patterns, but well-seen behavior. For instance, though Hutton's Vireos and Ruby-crowned Kinglets are very similar in plumage, their behavior is enough to separate them.

Does the bird walk or hop? Does it flick its wings or wag its tail? Does it pick at the surface or probe deep into the mud? Does it hitch itself up the tree using its tail as a prop or walk freely?

Quiz) A bird bobbing on a rock in the middle of a mountain stream in the West, walks into the water and disappears below the surface.

Next: Flight style