Hi Mark,

I don't think that the Alberta bird is the same as the Skykomish bird. The bill is pink, rather than orange, indicating that the caracara in Jasper National Park is probably a juvenile, while the Skykomish caracara did have a very orange bill. In addition, the markings on the breast are buffier and less "neat" than on the Skykomish bird, forming dots rather than horizontal "bars" (which the adult Skykomish bird did show).

However, I think that there is a very good chance that the adult Crested Caracara photographed in Namaimo, BC on July 20th could very well indeed be the same caracara. It will take some studying and comparing photos, but the Nanaimo bird looks quite similar to the Skykomish one (given that they are both orange-billed adults).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/132082647 at N03/19873281721/in/datetaken/

http://bcbirdalert.blogspot.com/2015/07/crested-caracara-in-nanaimo-area.html?m=0

Either way, it's been an amazing year for Crested Caracaras in the Northwest, and I'm very happy to have been here to enjoy it! What (a) marvelous bird(s).

Good birding, Joshua Glant

Mercer Island, WA

Josh.n.glant at gmail.com


On Aug 18, 2015, at 10:27 AM, Mark Stackhouse <westwings at sisna.com> wrote:
>
> Maybe some of you could recognize from the photos if this could be the same bird:
>
> https://www.audubon.org/news/crested-caracara-spotted-alberta-first-time
>
>
> Mark Stackhouse
> mark at westwings.com
> from Mexico:
> 01-323-285-1243 (San Blas, Nayarit)
> 001-801-518-5618 (cellular - U.S. and Mexico)
> from U.S.
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