On Sun, 2 Feb 1997, Don Cecile wrote:

> Having looked briefly at the photos, my impression is that the bird is some
> sort of Junco hybrid. I cannot make out enough details from the images to
> be any more specific or even certain that my impression is accurate.
>
> The pale, pinkish bill, dark head, shape and tail of the bird all say Junco
> to me.

Yeah, I thought so, too... I posted the invitation over on Ornitho-QC-->
maybe they'll have some unique input to add.

My question is: with hybrids such as this (Or any bird, I suppose, which
defies ID by observation), how does one find out for sure
what species the bird is? I realize this may be basic ornithology, but
I'm interested in finding out what methods exist to identify a bird with
great confidence. If you feel it's better not repeated or exists somewhere
in a FAQ, please respond to myself only.

Thanks!

-Pat
scott931 at uidaho.edu