Hi Folks!
We get two subspecies of Gray- cheeked Thrush: "aliciae" and " minima"
Aliciae is more common because it has a larger breeding area and a larger
global population. Minima is well-named because it is the smallest of the
Gray-cheeks. Bicknell's overlaps in size with both.
Several years ago there was an article about identifying Bicknell's. It
had several major problems: (1) a couple of the birds shown were simply
"probable" Bicknell's and. (2) the printing method really did not show colors
correctly (if you look, some of the edgings are scarlet!)
Song and some flight notes are diagnostic.
A good set of photos might confirm the identification for fieldnote
compilers.
Good birding!
Jim
Jim Stasz
North Beach MD
<Jlstasz...>
In a message dated 5/15/2013 6:51:24 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
<auk1844...> writes:
This afternoon I was at MPEA off Trotter Rd. There were several thrushes
about 50 yards downriver from Red Stop #11.
I stopped to look at a Gray-cheeked Thrush. Eventually I saw 3 GCTH in the
same tree. Then I saw another thrush that started singing. The first
thoughts that went through my mind were Veery, then Hermit Thrush, then neither.
This thrush looked smaller than the nearby GCTH and had a somewhat reddish
tail but its song was like a GCTH. All of the GCTH had some dark on their
lower mandibles. The probable Bicknell's lower mandible was orange/yellow.
By its song I knew that it was a GCTH/BITH. Based on that and the field
marks I mentioned above, I believe it to be a Bicknell's Thrush.
One other thing, when it sang it lowered its wings below its body but did
not bob its tail.
I turned on the video on my cell phone and hopefully got some of its song.
Earlier in the day we had an Olive-sided Flycatcher at a private
residence. It departed and would not have been chasable.
--
Joe Hanfman
Columbia, MD
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