Hi Tweets,

In view of the presumptions of Tropical and Couch's Kingbirds post-breeding
dispersal and our resulting assumptions that 'all' West Coast
late-fall/early winter yellow-bellied kingbirds are Tropical, the following
news story in Peter Whelan's 'Birds' column in today's (Oct 25 1997) Globe &
Mail may be instructive to those unwilling to call them anything but
Tropical Kingbirds.

Note: Nova Scotia (N.S.) is one of the Maritime Provinces on Canada's East
Coast; Cape Sable Is. is well off-shore in the Atlantic, and a storied
migrant trap for late-fall mirror-migrants.


Section D, page 8

A strange bird at Caple Sable Island, N.S. seems either to be the first
Couch's kingbird (sic) seen in Canada or the first tropical kingbird (sic)
identified east of British Columbia.
Photographs were taken, but even if they're perfect they will probably
not help. The two species are near-twins. They are flycatchers, almost
robin-sized, pale-grey-headed and yellow-bellied with dark wings and tail.
Both species reside in Mexico with scant outposts over the U.S. border.
At first sight on October 16, the bird was taken for a western kingbird
(sic)--the expected rarity of this general description. Then the larger
bill, dark grey eye patch, greenish back and lack of white outer tail
feathers denied this identification.
What *does* (ital) separate Couch's and tropical kingbirds are their
distinctive calls. The visitor's calls were heard by several birders. Later,
one said, "That's it!" when a tape recording was played of the shrill
'breeer' of Couch's kingbird. However, no recording was made of this bird.
About 10 of the growing core of enthusiastic but inexperienced local
birders saw the kingbird, with the last sighting at dusk. Halifax (N.S.--
mp) experts arrived the next morning, too late; it was not seen again.
Without recordings, this bird is expected to go down as a sight record of
Couch's or Tropical kingbird.

--end quote.

First, the importance of recording: what would be the working radius for
bird-song of a small fifty-buck microcassette tape recorder, given no or
little wind and no traffic noise?

Second, even more necessary become the most detailed field descriptions
possible of these birds.

Michael Price We aren't flying...we're falling with style!
Vancouver BC Canada -Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story
mprice at mindlink.net