please upload audio for Cassia Crossbills

[Mike Thompson]

Hi All - Just a quick eBird review note regarding the recent reports of Cassia Crossbills in Grand County. 

Since January 7, there have been a total of 49 eBird reports of Cassia Crossbill from the Lake Forest subdivision north of Lake Granby. 

25 of the reports included diagnostic audio recordings, and have been accepted. A big thank you to those observers!

24 of the reports did not include audio and cannot be accepted until diagnostic audio is added. This email is mainly a reminder to those observers to please upload your audio recordings. 

100% of Cassia Crossbill submissions must to have diagnostic audio recordings to get approved. It doesn't matter what Merlin said or what the observer next to you reported at the same time (unless you're sharing a checklist, which is a great option if you didn't get a recording).  Cassia review decisions are based on the contents of audio files.

Also try to be mindful of mixed flocks in your counts, as there are Type 2 and Type 5 Red Crossbills expected here as well. If your recording only captures 1 or 2 Cassia, I recommend only entering 1 or 2 Cassia, and leaving the balance of the crossbills present as Cassia/Red Crossbill or Crossbill sp (or a specific Type of Red Crossbill if it is definitive in the audio). Please try to avoid entering all crossbills present as Cassia unless it is definitive in your audio recording(s) that all crossbills present are Cassia.

That's all, just wanted to send a short reminder. Nice work documenting these birds.

Mike Thompson

[Norm Erthal]

In the two hours we were watching and hearing crossbills, there were never calls from Red Crossbills. To think that if we might have heard only two or so crossbills so we should only enter two understates the experience. There were crossbills constantly calling with every one identified as Cassia. To think there was any way of telling how many we heard would be difficult. We heard all of the call types for Cassia including the very distinctive buzzy call or maybe song note.

Norm Erthal

[Mike Thompson]

Thanks Norm - That’s a key element to add to your ebird description to add validity for higher numbers of Cassia in your checklist. “Continuing”, “photo” or “recording” doesn’t leave much to go on so it would be greatly appreciated if folks would add rationale for counts exceeding what can be objectively heard in the audio recordings.

What’s being asked, in general, is for observers to be mindful of mixed crossbill flocks, which are expected at this location. There are multiple checklists with mixed and non-diagnostic crossbill vocalizations included with Cassia flight calls. Here’s an excellent example: 

https://ebird.org/checklist/S299584980.

To account for mixed flocks, 2 CACR and 5 RECR/CACR is an accurate and useful report of 7 CACR if the there is ambiguity in the audio recording and/or observers are unwilling to include a thorough description in their checklist.

Mike 

m...@reardonsteel.us mobile

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