Magnificent Frigatebird?

Out of range although the range map I'm looking might extend up the coast to the mouth of the Delaware River and PA is upstream from there. Short tail is a problem but the albatross like wings and reddish area that looked like a pouch doesn't leave much else.

Ted Becker

------Original Message------
From: Dennis Paulson <dpaulson at ups.edu>
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: July 17, 2000 11:06:34 PM GMT
Subject: bird ID puzzle


Here is the record of my correspondence with a person who saw a strange
bird in Pennsylvania. Any ideas? I don't.

> >I live in Kane, Pa. and I recently saw a bird that I can't identify.
> >It was gray with a black or darker gray face and a reddish area that
>extended
> >from the underside of the head to the wings. It looked like it was a pouch.
> >It had a long bill and the wings were slender and seemed oddly shaped.
>It was
> >very slow moving and low to the ground. We were driving in a car and it flew
> >along side of us and I could see it clearly out the passenger window. It was
> >flying along side the road (on the shoulder).
> >Any ideas?
> >Thanks, Michelle
>
> Michelle, from your description I can't guess what kind of bird this was.
> Can you give me a little more information? About how large was it,
> compared with a crow, a robin, a sparrow? Were you driving through open
> country? Woodland? Was the tail long, short, average length?
>
> Dennis Paulson
>
> Mr. Paulson,
>The bird we saw was very large. We thought it might be an Albatross because
>of the wing span. We drive a 9 passenger station wagon and I would say it
>would easily be the size of the hood of the car. About 4 1/2 to 5ft across
>the wings and the body about 3 ft.long
>We live in the Allegheny Forest area so it is a mountain region and the bird
>definitely looked out of place.
>The tail seemed short compared to the size of the bird.
>We tried to find it again but we didn't have any luck.
>Thanks, Michelle

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 253-879-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 253-879-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416
http://www.ups.edu/biology/museum/museum.html

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