Posted by Richard Teller on February 10, 2011 at 5:23 PM
Here are three images of a bird that I shot at Creamers Field in Fairbanks, AK. It looks similar to a picture that I posted on this forum a few months ago for ID. In the end it turned out to be juvie Junco. I posted the first image in the Avion forum as a juvie Junco and have gotten some feed back that it is not. I was just searching the web and from the images of a juvie Common Redpoll. (Bob Steele's site. I would like to get some input to see if we can come to some concences as to the species. Thanks for everyone's help, it is always appreciated very much because we have some real experts in NPN.
Posted by Richard Teller on February 10, 2011 at 5:24 PM
Next image.
Posted by Richard Teller on February 10, 2011 at 5:25 PM
Third image.
Posted by Richard Teller on February 10, 2011 at 5:38 PM
For something to compare with click on my name at this post in this forum and go to the first post I did. It will have the other juvie I had a hard time with. With that one Nick Sanders was pretty confident is was a juvie Junco. It was shot near where Nick lives in Jasper National Park.
Posted by Richard Ditch on February 10, 2011 at 6:20 PM
I note that Nick gave zero reasons to support this claim so why accept it as correct?
The third image in this post shows the bill small and sharply pointed, and the tail deeply notched. Those field marks are suggestive of Pine Siskin. Those traitws are also shared by redpolls, but a redpoll shows a yellow bill in my field guides. I've no experience with juvie redpolls of either species so I don't know howw streaked they might be nor how dark their bill can be.
Posted by Brian Gatlin on February 10, 2011 at 6:37 PM
I feel the same finch-iness that others have noted here, but the overall shape of the bird makes me think more of a House Finch than a Siskin. The bill may be problematic for the ID, as it may not be full grown--fledglings often have rather small bills. But this is a puzzler for sure....
Posted by Richard Teller on February 10, 2011 at 7:40 PM
The reason why I don't think it is a siskin is because I did not see any even slight, wing bars on the bird.
Posted by Luke Ormand on February 10, 2011 at 7:42 PM
I instantly thought "Pine Siskin" before checking out anyones comments... that would be my best guess especially given where it was taken.
Posted by Richard Ditch on February 10, 2011 at 7:53 PM
Here's one of my Pine Siskins for comparison. Note the heavy streaking, fine pointed bill, and deeply notched tail.
Posted by Nick Saunders on February 10, 2011 at 9:19 PM
Yes my guess was a Dark Eyed Junco juvenile for the first bird in the other thread ,looking at that thread again, those birds could be a young cowbird, but I still feel the bill looks rather pinkish to me which recalls junco.
If Richard Teller wants to compare those photos with the birds in these new photos then surely that's his prerogative ? I certainly did not have a hand in it, but merely gave my opinion of the first bird in the other thread, which to me are completely different species !
Anyway the birds in THESE new images certainly have the daintiness of a Siskin, the streaking, thin bill and the notched tail are all key identifications.
PS. I live in Saskatchewan, not Alberta
Posted by Jim DeWitt on February 10, 2011 at 9:46 PM
Pine Siskins are fairly common at Creamer's. House Finches would have Alaska birders out in droves. As Richard has said, the bill is a finch's, not a Junco's sparrow bill.
Discussion
11 repliesI note that Nick gave zero reasons to support this claim so why accept it as correct?
The third image in this post shows the bill small and sharply pointed, and the tail deeply notched. Those field marks are suggestive of Pine Siskin. Those traitws are also shared by redpolls, but a redpoll shows a yellow bill in my field guides. I've no experience with juvie redpolls of either species so I don't know howw streaked they might be nor how dark their bill can be.
If Richard Teller wants to compare those photos with the birds in these new photos then surely that's his prerogative ? I certainly did not have a hand in it, but merely gave my opinion of the first bird in the other thread, which to me are completely different species !
Anyway the birds in THESE new images certainly have the daintiness of a Siskin, the streaking, thin bill and the notched tail are all key identifications.
PS. I live in Saskatchewan, not Alberta
Definitely a Pine Siskin.