ML410631191

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

*Possibly an under-reported taxon, but an extremely challenging identification. Many of the Carolina Chickadees in this area were on the brighter side, leading to a few confusing birds and many more that I didn’t observe extensively enough to rule out dull Black-capped Chickadee or hybrid. This individual, however, stood out even among the brighter CACH. The base of the bill had limited feathering, causing the bill itself to appear larger, although this wasn’t quite as obvious as in some CACH. The side of the nape appeared very white, with maybe a slight hint of grayish coloration visible (although the nape coloration of the bird in question seems nearly indistinguishable from BCCH that I’ve seen in New England and elsewhere). The center of the bird’s breast and belly were white, contrasting sharply with the brighter tan coloration on its flanks. The flank coloration seems to be in line for roughly the brightest flanks CACH can attain. The mantle color was mostly gray with a hint of olivey wash. Finally, the secondaries appear to have bright white edges at most angles (and duller at certain angles). Even some of the primaries appeared to have bright white edges. This is brighter white than I’ve seen on CACH wings, and seems to strongly suggest BCCH influence. However, the white overall seems inconsistent with the extensiveness on that of typical BCCH. Wing coverts appear more gray and not very similar to most BCCH I've observed. All of these traits combined seem to be good indicators that this is a hybrid individual. Overall the bird seems to be very intermediate between the two species, and I would not be comfortable labeling it as either. In summary: Flanks - Intermediate (pale BCCH or bright CACH could likely have similar coloration, but the sharp contrast between the white belly/breast and the tan flanks seems more indicative of BCCH) Nape - Intermediate (although most like BCCH) Secondaries - Intermediate Wing Coverts - CACH Base of Bill Feathering - Intermediate (maybe most like CACH?) Mantle - CACH

Technical information

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3704 pixels x 2469 pixels

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5.37 MB