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Posted by Larry Manfredi on 09:03:21 03/09/07
I was lucky and able to see the LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD yesterday with Carl Goodrich, Brennan Mulrooney, Mark Hedden and two other birders who's names I don't remember. We saw the bird within about ten minutes of arriving about 4:20 p.m. which was nice, I took many photographs as well as Brennan and Carl.
I have done extensive birding all over the West Indies, I have seen LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD on all of the islands that they occur on with the exception of Cuba. Birding in Cuba is a sore subject so I won't go there!
This is with out any doubt a LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD! I will list the reasons below.
1. The over all jizz says LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD!
2. The head shape and decent size bill says LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD!
3. The black head down to the cheeks says LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD!
4. The creamy undertail coverts says LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD!
5. The rusty uppertail coverts says LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD!
6. The buffy tipped tail says LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD!
7. The squared off tail says LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD!
8. The very light underside says LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD!
9. The call which we heard late yesterday is a "dry rattle" reminiscent of a Belted Kingfirsher call, this says for sure with out any doubt LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD!
Other birds to consider that are similar.
1. Eastern Kingbird does not have the same jizz and is a smaller bird with a smaller bill and head. Eastern Kingbird does not give a "dry rattle" call. Eastern Kingbird is darker on the mantle and not gray like a LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD!
2. Gray Kingbird has a bigger bill, a black mask through the eye and a notched tail. Gray Kingbirds do not give a "dry rattle" call.
3. Giant Kingbird has a "massive bill" and notched tail, it is a large bodied bird and has a different call.
So the question is, do I think that the Key West bird is a LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD? The answer is no I don't think that this bird is a LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD, I KNOW THAT IT IS ONE!
The reason why that I am stressing all of the points above is because this bird is a LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD! I just want to make sure that anyone who is traveling from out of town be reassured that Carl Goodrich was 100% correct on his identification of a bird that he has never seen before! So any birders traveling from out of town will know that they are coming for a correctly identified documented North American first.
I will be putting some photos of the bird on my website later.
Directions to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park:
As you get to the T-intersection in Key West turn left at the traffic light. Go about a quarter mile to Flagler street or ave? Turn right on Flagler and go about one and a half miles to White Street. Turn right on White Street and go to Southard Ave. Turn left on Southard Ave. follow Southard Ave. through the Truman Annex to the entrance booth of Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. Pay the fee and go to the first parking area on the right. The bird has been seen along the nature trail in this area.
This morning the bird was in an Australian Pine and some other trees but not in the hammock.
Good luck to those who are able to go.
Larry Manfredi
Homestead, FL
E-mail: birderlm@bellsouth.net
http://www.southfloridabirding.com
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