Among the excellent photos of the Tropical Kingbird posted this morning by 
Norm on behalf  of  Brenda Tekin the eighth picture (IMG_3573.jpg) clearly 
shows the 3 outermost primaries to be without notches.  As Brenda 
comments,  this indicates the bird not to be an adult.  For those 
interested, in "Identification Guide to North American Birds, Part I", by 
Peter Pyle (Slate Creek Press, 1997) Figure 170 (p. 255) illustrates the 
differing shapes of outer primary 10 between juvenal and adult Tropical 
Kingbirds, and says that these shapes are the same in Tropical and 
Couch's.  Because the bird is not an adult, the distances between the 
emergent primary tips does not help distinguish Tropical from Couch's.

Harvey Mudd

>Date:         Sun, 31 Dec 2006 07:46:03 -0500
>Reply-To:     Norm Saunders <>
>Sender:       Maryland Birds & Birding <>
>From:         Norm Saunders <>
>Subject: [MDOSPREY] FW: Somerset Kingbird
>To:           
>
>Forwarded as requested:
>   _____
>From: Brenda Tekin [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2006 2:24 AM
>Subject: Somerset Kingbird
>
>Is there a way for the following to be posted to the MDOsprey
>listserve?
>
>Thank you.
>
>Brenda Tekin
>Charlottesville, VA
>
>Kingbird - Somerset Co.  - December 30, 2006
>Gordy Adamski from Waynesboro, VA and I departed Charlottesville, VA
>at 6:30 a.m., arriving in Somerset County by 11 a.m.  Due to lack of
>detailed directions and coupled with not being familiar with the area,
>we ended up at Redden Ferry Road Estates.  As luck would have it, we
>crossed paths with Jim and Cheryl (THANK YOU AGAIN!) from Salisbury
>who also had made a wrong turn.  Luckily they had the Maryland Delorme
>atlas and after reorientating, they led us to the site hosting the
>reported Tropical Kingbird.
>
>The bird was quickly located and for the next several hours, was
>observed actively feeding.  No vocalization was heard.  One
>interesting observation was color of the inside of mouth.  I'm not
>sure if it was the lining or the tongue but it was salmon/rosy pink!
>
>Here are a few key points during our observation.
>
>*       Bright yellow belly extending to undertail covert with pale
>grayish band across upper chest that was almost non-existent in bright
>light
>
>*       Pronounced notched tail
>
>*       Inside of mouth salmon pink in color or was it the tongue?
>Or, was it a berry?  Color reminded me that of brightly colored
>salon-pink of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.
>
>*       Gray face and head
>
>*       Gray back with olive-green wash
>
>*       Iris appeared pale tan with dark brown pupil
>
>*       In good light, brownish tail appeared to cast a faint reddish
>tint.
>
>*       Primaries appeared broad, lacking notching, indicating a
>juvenile
>
>*       extensive whitish edging to the tertials and secondaries.
>
>A few pictures have been linked to the following web site:
>
>http://www.pbase.com/brendatekin
>
>
>
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------
>Brenda Tekin
>Charlottesville, VA
>
>"Leave behind what you find; if you must take something, take
>pictures."
>
>Digital Photography, including Birds of Virginia:
>http://www.birdsofvirginia.com



____________________________________

S. Harvey Mudd
NIMH/DIRP/LMB
Building 35, Room 1B1006
35 Lincoln Dr.
BETHESDA MD 20892
tel: 301-496-0681;  fax 301-402-0245
email: