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Posted by Andy Kratter on 20:36:08 03/08/07
In Reply to: Thoughts on "Apparent " posted by Trey Mitchell
Trey
The FOSRC has among its members: the Chair of the ABA Records Committee (Pranty), the coauthor of the most authoritative book on Florida s birds (Woolfenden), a member of the AOU Checklist Committee and the ABA checklist Committee (me), a cumulative 200 years + of birding experience, and probably a cumulative 100+ pelagic trips from around the World. I think that makes the seven of us quite well qualified to assess pelagic and other bird records. We brought this experience to the table to assess the tropicbird record from Miami-Dade. We also had ca.20 White-tailed Tropicbird specimens from the Florida Museum of Natural History (many with spread-wings), and 5 Red-billed Tropicbird specimens (3 with spread wings) to assess the written reports, the photographs, and the expert commentary from the web.
Most expert opinions posted on the net thought it was a Red-billed. They were not voting as Committee members, but posting an opinion. I ve posted mistakes in ID on the web before in non-voting circumstances ( California Gull at Ft DeSoto, Ross s Gull form long ago, which was a Little Gull), when I made knee-jerk IDs. I definitely take a different approach when I vote on record committees. One of the key features used in the ID as a Red-billed was the pattern of black and white in the tip of primary p8. Photos posted on the web showed one of each species with notable differences (white tipped in WT, black tipped in RB). With our larger sample, the FOSRC found that the white tips of p8 on WT can wear off resulting in a black tip, and when fresh the tip of p8 in RB has a broad white tip. We held up spread wings to assess how the dark primary coverts of RB would show from beneath. Maybe in very bright overhead sun this could be ascertained, but the photos show rather overcast conditions. We looked at the photos projected on the wall and held up specimens of each to compare bill dimensions, size, and proportions. We had seven independent opinions that the evidence presented did not, with 100% certainty, establish the ID as a Red-billed.
The photographs of the kingbird look great for a Loggerhead (my non-committee opinion). The seven of us will take a long hard look at whatever evidence is presented to us (the more the merrier; send the documentation in!). What an outstanding find.
Andy Kratter
Secretary FOSRC
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