ML77169371

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Media notes

Cleaner look at the solid grey back without direct sunlight causing glare

Observation details

I originally had this listed as "phalarope sp." when I first made this checklist, unsure of whether it was a Red or Red-necked Phalarope. Two regional reviewers contacted me not long after and assured me it was a Red but I still couldn't make the ID on my own so I left it undecided until now (12/03/17) when I went back over my old pictures to have another look at it. A year of experience more and having now seen a few Red-neckeds at the coast this summer I feel I can better compare the species, especially when it comes to bill shape. I can now see this one has a much thicker bill than a Red-necked. Also, other sources have mentioned Reds have a solid grey back (rather than streaked with white as Red-neckeds tend to have), which I believe is shown most clearly in photo #4. It was also explained to me Red Phalaropes are more likely to be seen in Oregon after mid-October and are sometimes forced inland after a storm, which makes sense given the great amount of Red Phalaropes reported on eBird throughout the Willamette Valley from late November to early December 2016. Thank you to David Irons and Shawneen Finnegan for help with this ID!

Technical information

Dimensions

1024 pixels x 768 pixels

Original file size

258.58 KB