ML646616683

Observation details

*cool bird, thought it might be a possible candidate for a non-slate-colored dark-eyed junco with its strongly contrasting dark hood but a little bit of research kicked up some aspects of this bird that are wrong for “Cassiar junco” (ssp cismontanus) such as lack of streaking on the mantle and possibly not an extensive enough “bib” (though it does have something of a convex, downward-facing edge). Sought a couple of outside opinions and it seems as though this bird is most likely a SY slate-colored DEJU (female type?) that has replaced its head feathers with darker alternate plumage before it’s replaced its duller body feathers. That said, there is some overlap between cismontanus and slate-colored (in this region, hyemalis) with the possibility of true intergrades as well as phenotypic intermediates, so this seems like a reasonable way to report/list this bird. Have been “gulling” the juncos here pretty hard this winter for irregularities, and this was the first one that gave me a start beyond just pale tawny female-type slate-colored juncos that stand out momentarily. The strongly tricolored impression with dark hood, rufousy mantle and flanks, and white belly on this bird really jumped off the page, almost like a female eastern towhee in miniature. The search continues. Photos and video, which contains audio