ML118654891

Age and sex

Adult, Unknown sex - X

Observation details

Continuing bird seen when it promptly appeared around 8:20am in the cottonwood immediately in front of the visitors center. It then flew around the parking lot area calling vociferously. Call note was a burry "kip" similar to a Western/Cassin's rather than the sharp metallic "tip" (often delivered as a rapid trill) of a Tropical Kingbird (which remind me of a Vermilion Flycatcher). Overall size similar to a Cassin's/Western with citrus underparts blurring into a smudge of greenish on the breast. The head was pale bluish with a pale whitish throat. Thin dark mask, no white discernable in the notched tail when it flew (narrowing it to Tropical/Couch's type). Greenish mantle. The bill appeared stout and was shorter than I might expect for a Tropical (which have a longer, thinner bill). Vocalizations aside, the timing of this bird seems to suggest a Couch's rather than Tropical. The latter being so far only reported in NM during the summer months whereas Couch's (of which there are many more total records) typically occur in migration or winter. Of course this doesn't factor in Tropical/Couch's types that were not identified to species (which may disrupt this apparent pattern).

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 40D

ISO

800

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/1000 sec

Dimensions

1313 pixels x 876 pixels

Original file size

159.4 KB