Hi Tweets,

Christine Vadai/Tom Phillips write:

>8/24
>* Black Swifts (big flock overhead)
>* Western Kingbird (hunting from the top of a dead tree next door)
>Western Tanagers

My eye got hooked on "Western Kingbird". This late in the southbound
migration, I'd encourage birders to take a second look at any kingbird not
obviously an Eastern Kingbird T. tyrannus, and to avoid if possible the
natural assumption that any yellow-bellied kingbird at this time of year is
automatically a Western Kingbird T. verticalis. Most likely it is for the
next couple-three weeks, but there's always the chance that it might check
out to be an early Tropical/Couch's-type Kingbird T. melancholicus/T. couchii.

Western K's typically have a barely-notched dark grey tail with white outer
tail-feathers, while Tropical and Couch's have well-notched tails lacking
white outers.

How to separate Tropical and Couch's on plumage seems to be a fool's game
given their great plumage similarity; most experts assert that in the field
only their calls are diagnostic.

Michael Price A brave world, Sir,
Vancouver BC Canada full of religion, knavery and change;
mprice at mindlink.net we shall shortly see better days.
Aphra Behn (1640-1689)