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Posted by Rock Jetty on 22:06:00 11/17/11
In Reply to: Re: VFC: Wonder as I wander posted by Georgiana
However...
I would argue that Vermilion Flycatchers are not vagrants to Florida, unlike say Loggerhead Kingbirds or Northern Wheatears. A Vermilion Flycatcher is spotted almost every year (maybe every year) somewhere in Florida and it'll winter in that spot. Both males and females have been spotted, from the panhandle to the Everglades.
I remember seeing my "life" Vermilion along Government (Snake) Road several years back and then seeing one for three consecutive years in the same spot where the two are being seen now.
They are wintering flycatchers just as Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and Western Kingbirds are, to a greater extent. The same can be said about the even rarer Say's Phoebe (who knows, maybe that species will become increasingly regular also).
None-the-less, the question presented by Paul is a good one and the fact that neither of the two Vermilion Flycatchers present in the area is the same is the one years back, makes it even more interesting. The fact that both birds seem to be about the same age makes me think they are from the same cohort.
I believe both Toe and Robin provided good arguments and that the answer is likely a combination of both. No magic involved, just one of the natural wonders of birds.
Rock Jetty
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