I too think this was a Frigatebird. I actually saw a Frigate just 3 weeks
ago in Somerset County, NJ cruising thermals over a reservoir with a kettle
of Turkey Vultures. Same bird? Mass FRIGATE confusion?

Rob Conway
Bellevue, WA / NY,NY

robin_birder at hotmail.com


>From: Dennis Paulson <dpaulson at ups.edu>
>Reply-To: dpaulson at ups.edu
>To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
>Subject: bird ID puzzle
>Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 16:06:34 -0700
>
>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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