[Tweeters] Re: Windust flycatcher maybe a Piratic Flycatcher instead

[Dennis Paulson]

Hey, Mike and MerryLynn.

Fantastic find.

Have you considered Variegated Flycatcher (Empidonomus varius) in  
your considerations? This is an austral migrant, unlike Piratic,  
which is a northern-hemisphere migrant like Sulphur-bellied. Like  
other austral migrants, Variegated has a record of penetrating the  
northern hemisphere (recorded in Maine, I believe), while the Piratic  
seems less likely up here. Piratic is really a small bird, not much  
bigger than a wood-pewee, while Variegated is larger, close in size  
to Sulphur-bellied. I would be surprised if you originally called a  
Piratic a Sulphur-bellied, and from your photos, I wonder if  
Variegated might be more likely.

Dennis

On Sep 7, 2008, at 12:01 PM, tweeters- 
request at mailman2.u.washington.edu wrote:


> Date: Sun, 7 Sep 2008 00:31:10 -0700

> From: "Mike and MerryLynn" <m.denny at charter.net>

> Subject: [Tweeters] Windust flycatcher maybe a Piratic Flycatcher

> 	instead

> To: "tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>,	"Inland NW Birders"

> 	<inland-nw-birders at uidaho.edu>,	"OBOL" <obol at oregonbirdwatch.org>

> Cc: greg at thebirdguide.com

> Message-ID: <CF99C4A496A247BEB5B69C69F4E34E11 at 24FLIGHT>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

>

> Hello all,

> After studying our photos and reading a description of Piratic  

> Flycatcher in "The Birds of the Republic of Panama" by Alexander  

> Wetmore there is the possibility that this bird is a Piratic  

> Flycatcher. The bill length and shape fit Piratic better than  

> Sulphur-bellied. The birds overall size and bill was a point of  

> discussion while in the field observing this bird. RT Petersons  

> Guide to Mexico was not even close to this bird we observed, so we  

> discounted the species until further study. Howells Birds of Mexico  

> and Northern Central America lacks some of the plumage descriptions  

> on the bird we observed. Blakes Birds of Mexico loosely described  

> this bird. Irby Davis does not even mention the species. In the  

> Birds of Columbia by R.M. DE Schauensee there is a short but  

> accurate account to the bird we observed. We have limited  

> experience with this species and have only seen it 3-4 times in  

> Costa Rica in 1996. Please remember when you are out in the field  

> that you should now have a h!

>  andle on most vagrant Mexican species even as far north as  

> southeast Washington. The old days of casting a brief glance at the  

> Mexican vagrants just before you head off to bird Arizona are now  

> over. The proof is at Windust right now. I wish to thank Steve  

> Mldinow and Charlie Wright for their remarks.

> Later Mike Denny

> ...................................................................... 

> ............

> Mike and MerryLynn Denny


-----
Dennis Paulson
1724 NE 98 St.
Seattle, WA 98115
206-528-1382
dennispaulson at comcast.net



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