ML580936191

Age and sex

Unknown age, Female - 1

Media notes

A truly lost, female Varied Thrush first seen by Brian Daniels was here photographed by Curtis A. Marantz on 3 June 2023 at Chiriaco Summit, Riverside County, California.

Observation details

Daniels spotted this bird perched atop a fence in the western part of the property, where it remained for a short time before flying over the trees to the west and disappearing. I managed to get a few photos and brief views, but we never heard this bird vocalize. This was a relatively large, heavy-bodied thrush with a slim bill that was of medium length for a thrush and blunt-tipped, a weakly sloping forehead and a more gently rounded crown than that of the robin that we saw shortly earlier, a short and inconspicuous neck, and a plump body. I failed to see any detail of the wing structure. I thought the tail was relatively short and parallel-sided, but I was unsure about the shape at the tip, and I cannot now recall seeing anything on the legs or feet. This was a well-marked and relatively colorful bird that appeared superficially much like the robin that we had just seen. My views were sufficient only to note the general details of the pattern, but my photos should be more than sufficient to document this report. I thought the forehead and crown were dark, but also demarcated by an orange supercilium that was relatively narrow yet well defined as if extended back from above the eye along the upper edge of the auriculars to their rear terminus, if not beyond. The lores and auriculars were dark, but I was unsure if they were grayish, brownish, or black. The throat, breast, and upper belly were a dull orange in color, and even though I failed to notice a breast-band, I also cannot be sure that such a band was lacking, and I cannot recall seeing clearly the lower belly, undertail coverts or the underside of the tail. The upperparts were either grayish or brownish and seemingly unmarked, but the wings had a complex pattern of orange markings on a dark background, the details of which eluded me in the field, as did the pattern and coloration of the upperside of the tail. My impression was that both the bill and eyes were dark, but I did not see either overly well, and as noted above, I cannot recall from the field any details about the legs or feet.

Technical information

Model

ILCE-7RM5

Lens

FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS

ISO

800

Focal length

600 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/6.3

Shutter speed

1/250 sec

Dimensions

4529 pixels x 2795 pixels

Original file size

10.29 MB