Now on ScienceBlogs: HeartlandGate: Anti-Science Institute's Insider Reveals Secrets
Written by an evolutionary biologist/ornithologist who writes about E3 -- Evolution, Ecology and Ethology -- and the subtle relationships between these phenomena, especially in birds.
GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist and ornithologist who loves to write about "E3": evolution, ethology and ecology and the subtle relationships between these fields, especially in birds.
GrrlScientist's new blog can be accessed through any one of these five domain names: GrrlScientist.net, grrlscientist.org, grrlscientist.info, grrlscientist.com, or grrlscientist.us (keep in mind that, in the future, these domains may point to different places). GrrlScientist's current blog home is at her NATURE Network blog, Maniraptora.
Online interviews with GrrlScientist: Kolibri Expeditions, ScienceOnline09, Nature Blog Network and ScienceBlogs. More biographical information about GrrlScientist.
Follow GrrlScientist:
GrrlScientist's banner was designed by graphic artist, Jeff Hebert, whose other work can be viewed at his site, Hero Machine.
|
|
« TEDTalks: My Quest for the Dodo Bird, and Other Obsessions | Main | NYAS A/H1N1 Influenza "Swine flu" Symposium in NYC »
Topic Categories: Birding • Education • Mystery Birds • Photography • Teaching
Posted on: June 4, 2009 9:59 AM, by "GrrlScientist"
tags: Townsend's Solitaire, Myadestes townsendi, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Townsend's Solitaire, Myadestes townsendi, photographed in Clallam County, Washington State. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Marv Breece, 23 May 2009 [larger view].
Canon EOS 350D 1/2000s f/7.1 at 300.0mm iso400
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Life Science
Educationdenialism blog 02.14.2012
respectful insolence 02.14.2012
uncertain principles 02.13.2012
confessions of a science librarian 02.13.2012
starts with a bang! 02.13.2012
Comments
Townsend's Solitaire, catbird-like but no black cap, more or less all grey, lighter on the bottom, light & darker patches on edge of wing.
Posted by: Monado | June 4, 2009 11:04 AM
...but it's the wrong range and I missed the notched tail.
Posted by: Monado | June 4, 2009 11:07 AM
Looks like Townsend's Solitaire. Thrush-like in shape, overall nondescript, white eye-ring, slight evidence of some buff on the wing (I think).
An idea: Why not have a mystery quiz on bird songs/calls? Link to an mp3 call and see if folks can identify the bird based on its song alone. You wouldn't need to do it every day, but just once in a while (weekly, monthly, randomly)? I love the visual mystery bird feature...it is a fun way to hone my skills, and learn new birds. Doing a song recognition would also be educational especially if the answer would include a "handle" or "field mark" that identifies this particular bird (e.g. the "mrrweow" of the catbird).
Posted by: Daniel J. Andrews | June 4, 2009 11:10 AM
Dark-sided flycatcher: white eye-ring, notched tail.
Posted by: Monado | June 4, 2009 11:27 AM
good idea, daniel. you've given me an idea .. i'll see if i can get a collaborator with birdsong files to work with me. it's certainly challenging for me to get these images, but i have a little idea for sound files that, if it works, i'll be excited to tell everyone about. of course, if you have any suggestions of who might be interested to work with me on this, i'd be thrilled about that, too.
Posted by: "GrrlScientist" | June 4, 2009 12:07 PM
If you wanted me to look into it, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology might be able to help with this. We've got oodles of sounds in our archives at the Macaulay Library (link above), so it would mainly be a matter of sorting out permissions and logistics. E-mail me if you like... Hugh
Posted by: Hugh | June 4, 2009 1:42 PM
GrrlScientist...I just sent you an email to your feedback link from my Yahoo.ca account. -dan
Posted by: Daniel J. Andrews | June 4, 2009 11:18 PM
There's an app for iPhone which I use called iBird that has birdsongs from over 800 species. It's pretty cool. I use the version called iBird Plus.
SH
Posted by: Stephen Hubbard | June 8, 2009 6:34 PM
If this is a Townsend's solitaire, why does it have a notched tail?
Posted by: Monado | August 10, 2009 11:06 AM
We have one (Solitaire Townsend) that hangs out by all of our windows flying lightly into the windows. Including the windows on our car. I cannot figure out if it is trying to get in, feeding on insects, or going after its own reflection. It is not hurting itself, so I just leave it alone after first attempting to shoo it away from the windows. Anyone else observe this behavior?
It is a really sweet bird though, and has a beautiful song book.
Posted by: Chris | November 7, 2009 4:31 PM