Tweeters,

The "frosty" redpoll returned today (3/17). (Maybe because it snowed
all day!!!) There was also close to twenty five other redpolls at the
feeder. I received an email from Cameron Eckert with some features to look
for when identifying Hoary Redpolls:

1) Very little breast streaking.
2) White rump with no streaks.
3) White undertail with very limited (or no) thin streaks.
4) White edges to tertials and coverts.
5) Overall frosted (white) look to head.
6) The red poll tends to be brighter red.
7) A wash of pink (not red) on breast of some birds.
8) Some birds show pale peach wash around face.
9) Shorter stubbier bill.
10) Pale streak along scapulars.
11) Tend to look slightly larger than Commons.
12) Tend to cock their tails more than Commons.
13) Tend to have "bushier leggings" than Commons.

The candidate Hoary has a small white rump with no streaks, criteria 2. He
also meets criteria 1, 3 (as far as I can tell), 5, 8, 11, and 12. He does
not meet the other criteria though. I have other redpolls in this flock
that meet some of these criteria also.

- Several redpolls in the flock meet criteria number 1 and two of those
birds meet number 8 also.

-After closer examination probably 5 redpolls meet criteria number 2.

-Several birds in the flock meet criteria number 3. Some of these birds
probably also meet criteria number 1.

-One other bird meets number 5.

As you can see there is a lot of variation in my redpoll flock. The bird
that meets the most criteria and is the frostiest in the flock is my
possible Hoary Redpoll. However, if he is a Hoary, he wouldn't be a
textbook perfect example, because he has a smaller white rump than the ones
that I have seen in the pictures.

I also recently received an email from Keith Brady. He has a friend who
swears that there is only one species. After looking at the variation
involved in the two species, I am wondering if the two "species" are
interbreeding. This would explain why I'm seeing these "intermediate"
birds.

Any comments or suggestions?

Thanks again for all the help.

Matthew Moskwik
Elk, WA
yuhaus at hotmail.com

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