I’ve been absent from this blog way too long. I’ve been very focused on building my business since the first of the year and devoting as much time & attention as possible to it. I’ve been able to update some photos on my BirdCam Photo Gallery but my beloved site has become woefully stale.
I’m back… and have a lot of photos to add but also some birds I’ve observed and some fun and unique behaviors that I’d like to share. I also need your help! I need help ID’ing this bird. I photographed it 24 May 2007 at Lake Hefner, Oklahoma City. At first it appeared to be a Western Kingbird, a familiar — though not as common as the Eastern — species in Central Oklahoma. But I then noticed this bird’s eye ring and started to take photos, trying to get as much detail as possible on an overcast, low-light day.
What do you think this bird is? A Western Kingbird hybrid, has been one opinion. But what is the other parent? The pale base of the bill, in addition to the eye ring and the color on the bird’s back don’t match the Western Kingbird. My mentor Jim Arterburn is sending the photo to experts around the country to get some input but one response was “juvenile Western Kingbird,” an opinion that Jim and I don’t share. For one thing, this would be the earliest breeding record in Oklahoma for this species (to have fledged by 24 May) but also juveniles have pale bellies with only a hint of yellow. This one has strong yellow on the underside.
So help?!! I’d appreciate your input!
Hi Pat
What a beautiful little bird, sorry but I can’t help to identify it.
I’m still checking into the cams and it’s been nice to see the changing seasons in your backyard as well as the sometimes drunken angles of cam 2 🙂
Glad to see you still have some time for birding, while it pays the bills all work and no play, as they say, is not good for you.
Les
It looks like a warbler
Hey,
Is it some form of Couch’s Kingbird? Not too far out of range but I do not know about different
As I was saying, not too far out of range but I do not know about different aging for them.
The eye-ring is confusing. There does seem to be all the other ID facts for a Couch’s.
My 2 cents.
Take care!
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
It’s always great to hear from you and I appreciate your input on this strange kingbird. I would love for it to be a Couch’s! I don’t believe there are any records for one in Oklahoma. The Cassin’s is a more likely candidate since it is found on occasion in the Oklahoma Panhandle. But this bird lacks several features unique to the Cassin’s, e.g., white malar. In hopes of ruling out the Couch’s, however, I posted an ID request on the Frontiers of Field Identification listserv (based on U of Ariz. servers). The birders who responded were baffled and no one was able to help with an ID. I suspect it will remain a mystery… and most likely is a Western Kingbird hybrid with an unknown species. It’s interesting to have a one-of-a-kind bird!!! Pat
it is a western kingbird. they are in all parts of oklahoma in summer and migration in the east of oklahoma. i am too a bird watcher and i have taken a few pictures of them. i am from the western part of oklahoma.
Hi Pat,
I have been researching your mystery Kingbird and I believe it could be a juvenile Thick-billed Kingbird. It normally is not in our area, but, it sure looks like one from the description of the Thick-billed Kingbird. Check this website http://www.bird-friends.com/BirdPage.php?name=Thick-Billed+Kingbird