Empid. Help - Arapahoe

[Jared Del Rosso]

That time of year. 

Because Hammond's Flycatcher remains my nemesis bird, I spend far too much time looking at photos of empids. The color (judged by empid standards) on this bird (Centennial area, today) is what has me stuck.

While watching a different empid in my yard today -- who knows on that one, I thought it was doing the Gray Flycatcher wagging but the bill doesn't look right (though it was badly seen) -- a Swainson's Hawk came loudly into my neighbor's yard with a rabbit. It stayed, perched high and with its prey for some time, before heading out. 

[Steven Rash]

Head shape, bill size, long primary projection are suggestive of Hammond’s. That’s the direction I’d lean. As other recent empid ID posts have pointed out, the tail wagging can be an unreliable characteristic. That is to say that you can use it to rule something like gray IN, but just because you see it happen doesn’t rule the other empids OUT.

Vocalizations are always best, but I think you have enough here to claim Hammonds. I’m sure someone will disagree.

Cheers,

Steve Rash
Denver, Co.

[Jared Del Rosso]

I've had four votes for Hammond's, noting what Steve noted. I heard the bird vocalize once, but given that I only encounter empids during migration and haven't had a reminder of their calls until today, it was lost on me. 

Thanks all!

- Jared

Centennial, CO

[Charles Hundertmark]

Short bill, large head, long primary projection, almond or tear drop eye ring, gray throat do suggest Hammond’s. 

Chuck Hundertmark

Lafayette, CO

On May 7, 2020, at 9:09 AM, Jared Del Rosso <jared.d...@gmail.com> wrote:

That time of year. 

Because Hammond's Flycatcher remains my nemesis bird, I spend far too much time looking at photos of empids. The color (judged by empid standards) on this bird (Centennial area, today) is what has me stuck.

<DSC_0074 Empid.jpg>

<DSC_0077 Empid.jpg>

<DSC_0081 Empid.jpg>

While watching a different empid in my yard today -- who knows on that one, I thought it was doing the Gray Flycatcher wagging but the bill doesn't look right (though it was badly seen) -- a Swainson's Hawk came loudly into my neighbor's yard with a rabbit. It stayed, perched high and with its prey for some time, before heading out. 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+u...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/a99cb88b-8a56-442f-b8c5-0489caca03f5%40googlegroups.com.
<DSC_0074 Empid.jpg><DSC_0077 Empid.jpg><DSC_0081 Empid.jpg>