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Posted by Toe on 21:08:36 04/16/09
Today's excitement over the Kirtland's should make no one feel bad about missing an ID. After, we all do this from time to time, and I am proof of that! But, what makes our task of IDing these birds even more difficult is their unscrupulous habit of transforming into a different bird without warning. All too often we fall victim to the heartless birds that are a really good, mega-rarity when first found, and within days or hours turn into a similar, less common, although no less beautiful species. Everyone has some examples of this on their lists, but to help us in future discoveries, here is a list of mega-rarities that are known to metamorphosize into more common finds:
Kirtland's Warbler....into....Magnolia Warbler (sorry John)
La Sagra's Flycatcher..into...Brown-crested Flycatcher (sorry me)
Loggerhead Kingbird...into....Eastern Kingbird (sorry 13 previous reports)
Thick-billed Vireo.....into....White-eye Vireo
Hooded Oriole.....into...Spot-breasted Oriole (sometimes they do this in groups!)
Large Gull that you know is really good...into...Herring Gull (whamp, whamp)
Red-necked Phalarope...into...floating styrofoam cup (only offshore)
Say's Phoebe......into.....Eastern Phoebe
Olive-sided Flycatcher....into....Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Wood-Pewee in winter....into.....Eastern Phoebe
Curlew Sandpiper....into.....Eastern Phoebe
Little Stint....into....Red-necked Stint (may not be so much of a problem)
Zone-tailed Hawk....into.....Turkey Vulture in speedos
Every hawk other than a Red-shouldered...into...Red-shouldered
Unknown Empidonax Flycatcher...into...Unknown Empidonax Flycatcher (let's face it, they cannot be identified)
and, what may be the most bizarre case of transformation:
Bald Eagle.....into....Eastern Meadowlark
So, there you have it. Be wary of the aforementioned species and their tricky ways. But, let's not get so scared that it keeps us from alerting our birding community to a potentially good find. I'd rather chase a common bird that miss the chance to a once-in-a-lifetime rarity because we just weren't sure. In honor of what came close to being my life Kirtland's Warbler, I am having a Bell's Expedition Stout, the highest rated stout I've had yet. Cheers John, Carlos, and the rest who found or chased this bird.
Bird on!
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