Sunday 17 March 2024

Lapland Bunting (Calcarius lapponicus)

OTHER NAMES: Lapland Longspur N/A
Latin Etymology: Calcarius ("spurs") lapponicus ("of Lapland")

 

Adult male Lapland Bunting (Calcarius lapponicus) moulting into Summer plumage at Weybourne, Norfolk - March 2024


Featured Subspecies: Calcarius lapponicus lapponicus
Weight: 23-35g  /  Length: 15.5-17cm  /  Wingspan: 22-29cm
UK STATUS NOT EVALUATEDIUCN Red List: Least Concern

While known in the UK as the Lapland Bunting, more accurately it is a Longspur, a small group of seedeating birds primarily found in North America and only distantly related to the true buntings such as reed bunting or yellowhammer.  They are a scarce Winter visitor in the UK where in most places they only turn up briefly and are hard to pin down before seeminly moving on.  

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Calcariidae
Genus: Calcarius
SUBSPECIES: C. l. lapponicus, C. l. coloratus, C. l. alascensis

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - a scarce and erratic Wintering species - (710 birds)
 - Seen at Waybourne (3 birds in March 2024) 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Sunday 8 October 2023

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Calidris (bird named by Aristotle) pusilla ("very small")

 Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla at Frampton Marshes, Lincolnshire - October 2023

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 20-32g  /  Length: 13-15cm  /  Wingspan: 35-37cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

A small North American wader which gets its name from the partial webbing between it's toes, the Semipalmated Sandpiper is another Arctic breeding long-distant migrant species that Winters in South America. It turns up as a vagrant in Europe in most years.


Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Calidris
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A rare vagrant
 - Vagrant seen at Frampton Marshes in October 2023. 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Saturday 7 October 2023

Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Calidris (bird named by Aristotle) subruficollis ("rufous-necked") 

Juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis) at Frampton Marshes, Lincolnshire - October 2023

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 63g  /  Length: 19-23cm  /  Wingspan: 46cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

An unusual looking wader that breeds in the Arctic of Alaska, Canada and Russia before taking part in a vast migration down to Winter in Uruguay and the surrounding areas. It's vast migration makes it prone to vagrancy, and has turned up in many parts of the world. They leave the nest within 12 hours of hatching and are able to feed themselves.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Calidris
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A rare vagrant
 - Vagrant seen at Frampton Marshes in October 2023.


Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Sunday 24 September 2023

Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Tringa (bird named by Aristotle) flavipes ("yellow foot")

Non-breeding Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) at Frampton Marshes, Lincolnshire - September 2023

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 48-114g  /  Length: 23-25cm  /  Wingspan: 59-64cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A medium sized if slender wader that spans the length of the Americas from it's breeding grounds in Alaska to it's wintering grounds spreading right down the length of South America. Despite the name association, it is not the closest relative of the Greater Yellowlegs, but nonetheless it is a species that gives a very similar impression, largely differentiated by size and structural detail.

Related Species:
Order: 
Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Tringa
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A rare vagrant
 - Vagrant seen at Frampton Marshes in September 2023.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Wednesday 20 September 2023

Long-tailed Skua (Stercorarius longicaudus)

OTHER NAMES: Long-tailed Jaeger
Latin Etymology: Stercorarius ("of dung") longicaudus ("long wing")

 

Intermediate morph Long-tailed Skua (Stercorarius longicaudus) at Bridlington Harbour, East Yorkshire - September 2023

Featured Subspecies: Stercorarius longicaudus longicaudus
Weight: 230-444g  /  Length: 35-58cm  /  Wingspan: 102-117cm
UK GREEN LIST IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The smallest of the world's skuas, the Long-tailed is a breeder in the high Arctic tundra, it has an almost pigeon like face in some faces, making it seem an overall gentler bird than it's large cousins. That said, it is still both a hunter and a pirate, robbing other seabirds of their catch, as well as eating rodents.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Stercorariidae
Genus: Stercorarius
SUBSPECIES: S. l. longicaudus, S. l. pallescens

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A scarce passage migrant 
 - Several seen at Bridlington in September 2023

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Tuesday 19 September 2023

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Sula (Old Norse for Gannet) leucogaster ("white abdomen")

Adult male Brown Booby (subspecies S. l. leucogaster) at South Gare, Yorkshire - September 2023


Featured Subspecies: Sula leucogaster leucogaster
Weight: 1-1.3kg  /  Length: 64-74cm  /  Wingspan: 140-150cm
NO UK STATUSIUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Tees estuary would perhaps not be the first place one would seek to look for a tropical seabird, but after a number of sightings of the species around the UK in 2023, this bird decided to settle on the marker buoys surrounding the spit of South Gate to the south of the estuary. It's range is more usually equatorial, spanning the Pacific, Indian Ocean, and where this individual likely originated from the Central Atlantic. 

Related Species:
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Sulidae

Genus: Sula
SUBSPECIES: S. l. leucogaster, S. l. plotus, S. l. brewsteri, S. l. etesiaca

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A very rare vagrant
 - A lingering vagrant bird seen at South Gare in September 2023 .

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Great Skua (Stercorarius skua)

OTHER NAMES: Bonxie
Latin Etymology: Stercorarius ("of dung") skua (derived from Faroese name)

Adult Great Skua (Stercorarius skua) at Flamborough Head, Yorkshire - September 2023


Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 1.2-1.4 kg  /  Length: 50-58cm  /  Wingspan: 125-140cm
UK AMBER LIST IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The largest of the skuas found in UK waters, the Great Skua - also often called the Bonxie after it's Shetland name - is a powerful predator and piratical feeder. It will harass other seabirds into dropping their catch, though it will also feed on smaller seabirds themselves. Their genetics is interesting in that studies have suggested that they share some sort of hybrid origin with Pomarine skua with one being the result of a hybrid lineage with the other evolving into a separate species, although precisely which is the hybrid population is unresolved.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Stercorariidae
Genus: Stercorarius
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A scarce breeder in North Scotland (9650+ pairs) and passage migrant
 - Seen at Flamborough Head in September 2023

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Tuesday 18 July 2023

Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea)

OTHER NAMES: Brahminy Duck
Latin Etymology: Tadorna (from French name for Common Shelduck) ferruginea (rust coloured)

Adult female Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) at Hollowell Reservoir - July 2023


Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 1.2kg  /  Length: 58-70cm  /  Wingspan: 110-135cm
UK STATUS NOT EVALUATEDIUCN Red List: Least Concern

A species with a debated position on the British list, the heart of it's natural range is Central Asia, but populations found in the Netherlands have increased rapidly over time, but this is balanced against it being a species with a strong history of escaping from captivity. This particular individual has been returning to Hollowell and Ravensthorpe reservoir for the past four years in the Summer, and quite conceivably derrived from the feral European population.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes 
Family: Anatidae 
Genus: Tadorna
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A regular of frequentiy ambiguous providence
 - Seen at Hollowell Reservoir (single bird in 2019)


Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Sunday 7 May 2023

Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix)

OTHER NAMES: Wood-wren
Latin Etymology:  Phylloscopus ("leaf seaker") sibilatrix ("whistler")

Adult Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix) at Wyre Forest, Worcestershire - May 2023

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 6.5-15g  /  Length: 11-12.5cm  /  Wingspan: 19.5-24cm
UK RED LIST IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The largest and most colourful of Britain's Phylloscopus warblers, it is also the scarcest and hardest to see. Unlike the more adaptable chiffchaff and willow warbler it is found solely in Old Growth forests, particularly in Wales and Scotland, though there are also some parts of England where it is found. It arrives in late April and will set up territories where it can often be identified by it's distinctive call, which has been described as a coin spinning on marble.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Phylloscopidae
Genus: Phylloscopus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A Summer migrant to Old Growth Forests (6500 males)
 - Seen at Wyre Forest, .

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Tuesday 7 March 2023

Twite (Linaria flavirostris)

OTHER NAMES: Mountain Linnet
Latin Etymology: Linaria ("linen weaver") flavirostris ("yellow billed")  

Three Twite (possibly subspecies L. f. pipilans) at Onager Hill, Norfolk - March 2023

Featured Subspecies: possibly Linaria flavirostris pipilans
Weight: 13-18g  /  Length: 13-1cm  /  Wingspan: 22-24cm
UK RED LIST IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A small finch of cold uplands, the twite is arguably the drabbest of the native finches of the UK, with only the often obscured pink rump of the breeding males as colouration on its otherwise brown plumage. Their global range is separated into two broad areas a highly migratory population in Northern Europe and resident birds of Central Asia and the Caucasus. The UK breeding population is in major decline, though it is supplemented by migratory continental birds in Winter. Their distinctive yellow bill is only present in Winter.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Genus: Linaria
SUBSPECIES: L. f. bensonorum, L. f. pipilans, L. f. flavirostris, L. f. brevirostris, L. f. kirghizorum, L. f. korejevi, L. f. altaica, L. f. montanella, L. f. pamirensis, L. f. miiakensis, L. f. rufostrigata

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A scarce breeder in Northern uplands (7850 pairs), Winters in saltmarshes (100,000 birds)
 - A flock at Onager Hill in March 2023,

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Tuesday 27 December 2022

Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus)

OTHER NAMES: Pale Harrier
Latin Etymology: Circus (bird named for circling flight)  macrourus ("long-tailed")

Juvenile female Pallid Harrier (subspecies ) at Warham Greens, Norfolk - December 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 380g  /  Length: 40-48cm  /  Wingspan: 95-120cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Breeding from Eastern Europe to the Steppes of Central Asia, the Pallid Harrier is the only European Harrier species to not regularly be found in the UK - the species gets its name from the pale silver grey of the males plumage. In structure it most resembles the Montagu's harrier but the plumage is much more subtly marked. While it is considered Nea Threatened globally, it does seem to be expanding its range to the West, with several pairs breeding in Western Europe in recent years for the first recorded time.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Circus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A rare vagrant
 - A wintering vagrant at Warham in December 2022

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Thursday 17 November 2022

American Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)

OTHER NAMES: Cliff Swallow
Latin Etymology: Petrochelidon ("rock swallow") pyrrhonota ("flame coloured")

American Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) on Half Moon Bay Pelagic - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: unclear
Weight: 19-31g  /  Length: 13-15cm  /  Wingspan: 28-33cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A distinctive species of hirundine that almost has the appearance of a barn swallow's head on a sand martins body. They are found throughout the United States, enabled in their expansion by human settlement providing an alternative place to build their nests than their natural cliff faces. Like many hirundines, they are long distance migrants, wintering in South America. This particular individual was seen out to sea on our pelagic boat trip mid migration - possibly slightly lost!

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Hirundinidae
Genus: Petrochelidon
SUBSPECIES: P. p. pyrrhonota, P. p. ganieri, P. p. tachina, P. p. melanogaster

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds across much of the Lower 48 and Alaska
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen on the Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Orange-crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Leiothlypis ("plain unknown warbler") celata ("secret")


Adult Orange-crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata) at San Francisco, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Unclear
Weight: 9g  /  Length: 12-13cm  /  Wingspan: 18cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Despite the rather opulant sounding name, the namesake orange crown of this warbler is actually fairly difficult to see as it is usually hidden beneath the crest - in many ways this species is actually more closely resembling a drab old-world  phylloscopid warbler than the other parulid warbler we saw on the trip.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Parulidae
Genus: Leiothlypis
SUBSPECIES: L. c. celata, L. c. lutescens, L. orestera, L. c. sordida

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds in the West including Alaska, Winters in South, Resident in thin strip along Pacific Coast
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at  San Francisco 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

OTHER NAMES: Mockingbird
Latin Etymology: Mimus ("mimic") polyglottos ("many tongued")

 

Adult Northern Mockingbird (subspecies M. p. leucopterus) at San Jose, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Mimus polyglottos leucopterus
Weight: 40-58g  /  Length: 20-28cm  /  Wingspan: 31-38cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Named and famous for it's ability as a vocal mimic, the Northern Mockingbird is capable of learning a huge repertoire of songs learned not only from other birds, but also from other species and even artificial human sounds. They have beeb recorded  as having up to 200 songs memorised per individual.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Mimidae
Genus: Mimus
SUBSPECIES: M. p. polyglottos, M. p. leucopterus, M. p. orpheus

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 

Found across the Southern and North-Western States
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at San Jose

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)


OTHER NAMES: Long-crested Jay, Mountain Jay, Pine Jay

Latin Etymology: Cyanocitta ("cyan jay") stelleri (named for Steller)

 Adult Steller's Jay (subspecies C. s. frontalis) at San Francisco, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Cyanocitta stelleri frontalis
Weight: 105g  /  Length: 29cm  /  Wingspan: 43-48cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Steller's Jay is a sister species to the famous Blue Jay of North America, the only other species in the genus Cyanocitta, but while that species mainly lives to the East of the Rockies, the Steller's lives in the Rockies themselves and the West. Like other jays they are simultaneously noisy but shy and often only caught in fleeting glimpses.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Cyanocitta
SUBSPECIES: C. s. stelleri, C. s. carlottae, C. s. frontalis, C. s. carbonacea, C. s. annectens, C. s. macrolpha, C. s. diademata, C. s. philippsi, C. s. coronata, C. s. purpurea, C. s. azteca, C. s. teotepecensis, C. s. restricta, C. s. ridgwayi, C. s. lazula, C. s. sauvis

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Range centred on the Rockies and Pacific Coast
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Roy's Redwoods, San Francisco and Berkeley

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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California Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica)

OTHER NAMES: Western Scrub Jay, Scrub Jay
Latin Etymology: Aphelocoma ("simple hair") californica ("of California")

Adult California Scrub Jay (subspecies A. c. oocleptica) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Aphelocoma californica oocleptica
Weight: 70-100g  /  Length: 27-31cm  /  Wingspan: 38-40cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A dash of bright blue from the trees was usually what I saw of this species - noisy and ubiquitous, it is nonetheless generally a fairly shy species by the standards of corvids, rarely giving me a good look at the brilliant plumage. They are known to cache food for winter, and can remember the location of over 200 such locations.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Aphelocoma
SUBSPECIES: A. c. immanis, A. c. caurina, A. c. oocleptica, A. c. californica, A. c. obscura, A. c. cana, A. c. cactophila, A. c. hypoleuca

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 

Washington, Oregon and Colorado
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Roy's RedwoodsSan Jose, San Francisco and Berkeley

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea)

OTHER NAMES: Californian Nuthatch
Latin Etymology: Sitta (bird mentioned by Aristotle) pygmaea ("pygmy")

 

Adult Pygmy Nuthatch (subspecies S. p. pygmaea) at Roy's Redwoods, California- September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Sitta pygmaea pygmaea
Weight: 8.5-11g  /  Length: 9-11cm  /  Wingspan: 19cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A tiny species of nuthatch whose range is largely restricted to the US, they are specialists of coniferous forest, feeding on pine seeds and insects. To survive extremes of cold, they have been known to roost communally in groups of over 100 indivuduals to share body heat. 

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae
Genus: Sitta
SUBSPECIES: S. p. melanotis, S. p. pygmaea, S. p. leuconucha, S. p. chihuahuae, S. p. brunnescens, S. p. flavinucha, S. p. elii

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Patchily distributed across Western Lower 48
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Roy's Redwoods and Berkeley


Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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American Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus)

OTHER NAMES: Bushtit
Latin Etymology: Psaltriparus ("pygmy tit") minimus ("smallest")

Adult female American Bushtit (subspecies P. m. minimus) at Berkeley, Caifornia - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Psaltriparus minimus minimus
Weight: 5-6g  /  Length: 11cm  /  Wingspan: 18cm
NO UK STATUSIUCN Red List: Least Concern

The sole member of the bushtit family to be found in the Americas, they are gregarious birds that travel in small flocks, and feed on spiders and insects. Their nests are elaborately constructed of moss, lichen, spider-silk and feathers.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Aegithalidae
Genus: Psaltriparis
SUBSPECIES: P. m. saturatus, P. m. minimus, P. m. melanurus, P. m. grindae, P. m. californicus, P. m. plumbeus, P. m. dimorphicus, P. m. iulus, P. m personatus, P. m. melanotis 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Found in approximately a triangle between central Texas, California and Washington where habitat is appropriate
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Wednesday 16 November 2022

Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Pheucticus ("shy") melanocephalus ("black headed")

Juvenile Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalusat San Jose, California - August 2022 - Handled by Licenced Ringers

Featured Subspecies: unclear
Weight: 34-38g  /  Length: 18-19cm  /  Wingspan: 32cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A robust finch species and relative of the cardinal, the Black-headed Grosbeak is one of the few species that is able to eat monarch butterflies, which are usually toxic due to the milkweed they feed on. Interestingly, the same genetic solution to being protected from the milkweed toxins that the monarch has developed evolved in parralel in the grosbeak!

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Pheucticus
SUBSPECIES: P. m. maculatus, P. m. melanocephalus

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Found in the Western half of the Lower 48
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at San Jose,

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Molothrus ("struggle to sire") ater ("black")


Juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) on Half Moon Bay Pelagic September 2022

Featured Subspecies: unclear
Weight: 38-49g  /  Length: 16-22cm  /  Wingspan: 36cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A noted brood-parasite, the brown-headed cowbird isn't nearly as specialised into it as other noted species such as the common cuckoo, and taks a fairly cattershot approach, to the point where it has been recording attempting to parasitise over 220 other species. It's aided by the fact it is prolific at producting eggs, with up to 36 a season being recorded! Bizarrely, the first time I saw this species was miles out to sea where one came in and landed on our boat!

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Icteridae
Genus: Molothrus
SUBSPECIES: M. a. artemisiae, M. a. obscurus, M. a. ater, M. a. californicus

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeding or resident throughout almost all of Lower 48, Winters only in Southern Florida
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen on the Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip and in Half Moon Bay

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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