ML195438801

Age

Not specified

Sex

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Observation details

Continuing Greater Pewee (Contopus pertinax) Mile Square Regional Park, Orange Co., CA 8 December 2019 On the 8th of December, I braved spotty rain showers to see the continuing Greater Pewee in Orange Co. The bird was heard and briefly seen right before 4pm on the eastern border of the driving range fence and maintenance yard at the park’s southern edge. I first heard the distinctive calls several times before seeing the bird. The calls were short “prrrr-rip! purr-rip”s followed by several full “prrr-rip!, pur-eeeee-uh!” or “Jose Maria!” calls. The bird then flew into view and perched briefly, where I was able to view it for ca. 45 seconds and snap three photographs (only one of which was close to being in focus). The bird then flew back west and was neither seen nor heard again, although I searched the area with 5 others until the end of civil twilight. Description: A large flycatcher. Structurally similar to a Western Wood-Pewee but bulkier and larger overall and distinctly larger-crested and billed. Drab overall with a brownish wing panel with hints of white edging forming weak wingbars and with some paler edging to tertials. The back color was not seen well. The breast was a drab gray and belly and undertail coverts were a very pale yellow. The face was a drab olive gray and the bird had a noticeably large crest. The bill was large, proportionally much larger than that of a Western Wood-Pewee, and appeared entirely dark above and deep orange below.

Technical information

Dimensions

625 pixels x 732 pixels

Original file size

416.33 KB