Subject: [Tweeters] RE: Mannikins in Snoho County
Date: Nov 12 16:45:33 2004
From: Dana Greeley - danagreeley at yahoo.com


I swore I saw a manakin-like bird three days ago at Magnusson Park in Seattle.
The only type of manakin I'm (remotely) familiar with is the central american variety.
I didn't get a great look at it and it was much larger (twice the size) than any C. American manakin so I wrote it off to some large sparrow who had lost most of its tail.
It was among some house sparrows but again almost twice these sparrows size.
I recall it appeared to have a wing band or two.
Sorry, I was at work and didn't have any binocs.
Is there a malaysian manakin this large?
Considering Stevens report below, perhaps I should've followed it.
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Greetings All

Well, for the 2nd straight year I've found a mannikin in Snohomish County. No, not a plastic humanoid in a clothing store window, but a member of the genus Lonchura, also known as Munias.

Last year it was a Chestnut Mannikin (in Nov I believe) near Florence; this year, a Nutmeg Mannikin (aka Spotted Munia, Lonchura punctulata) on Short School Rd just e. of Snohomish (near the Gyr spot there). It was in a large flock of sparrows that contained 2 WT Sparrows and about 100 other Zonotrichia.

Given the occurrence of two Malaysian species in Snoho Co in the same month, I think a vagrancy pattern is forming. So, keep your eyes out for Pittas :o)

Cheers
Steven Mlodinow


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