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Posted by Brian Rapoza on 21:25:25 06/02/07
In Reply to: Re: vermilion flycatcher posted by A.D.Sprecher
I'm assuming that the field guide you are using is "The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, Eastern Region." When you looked at plate #410, House Finch, you probably thought that there was simply not enough red to be the bird you saw. If you have an opportunity to look at any of the more popular field guides, say the National Geographic or Sibley Guides to Birds of North America, you'll see that male House Finches may be a brighter red, with the red more extensively covering the head and breast, than in the House Finch photograph used in your field guide. In fact, they would look exactly as you described: a bright red bird with a brown mask, tail and wings! If you are fortunate enough to see this bird again, try to look at the shape of the bill. If the bird has a conical bill, like that of a cardinal or bunting, it would likely be a House Finch. If, on the other hand, it had a thin bill, it may in fact be a Vermilion Flycatcher.
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