Subject: [Tweeters] McKay's Bunting female returns?
Date: Feb 25 22:11:26 2005
From: Jason Rogers - hawkowl at hotmail.com


In response to recent conflicting reports of a McKay's Bunting at the Iona
Jetty in Richmond, BC, I sent the following message to the BC Vancouver
Birds group:

If indeed all recent reports of buntings at the Iona Jetty involve the same
three birds, then the reason for the lack of a consensus on the identity of
one of them may be two-fold: first most of the identification literature
fails to adequately address the separation of McKay's and Snow buntings,
and, second, individuals of both taxa may, through feather wear, appear
noticeably darker now than they did in December.

When examining a potential McKay's Bunting, unless the individual is an
adult male, it is best to sex it before proceeding further with its
identification. We know that the McKay's Bunting seen in January was a
female because of the pronounced pointed shape of the dark centers of its
scapulars. If this individual is still present, these centers should still
have their distinctive shape. In males the dark centers of the scapulars
are either rounded or bluntly-tipped--and in the case of many adult male
McKay's Buntings, nonexistent.

Once sex has been determined, look for the amount of white in the wings. In
the McKay's Bunting seen in January, the greater coverts and most of the
median ones (at least) were white and should still be that color at this
time of year. No female Snow Bunting shows this much white in these
coverts.

Another, perhaps easier, character to see is the extent of dark in the rump
and back (region separating the mantle and rump and lying between the two
tracts of tertials). The McKay's Bunting seen in January was unmarked in
both areas. Subsequent feather wear may allow for some dark
streaks/chevrons to be seen in the back, but the rump should still be
immaculate.

I hope this information can be used to settle the debate over the identity
of the Iona bunting currently being seen.

Regards,
Jason Rogers
Banff, AB
hawkowl at hotmail.com