[NatureNS] The 9 March loon in Halifax

Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:39:46 -0300
From: iamclar@DAL.CA
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All:

Because of my ignorance of the age and seasonal variability of  
Yellow-billed vs. Common Loon, I solicited opinions from two very  
knowledgeable sources. Peter Pyle is the author of the paramount i.d.  
work on identification of birds in the hand or in good images (all  
subspecies described, seasonal and age info, lots of images on feather  
and other details, tables of measurements,etc.) Steve Gantlett is the  
editor of "Birding World" - the most important monthly journal on  
birds of UK and the W. Palearectic (where Yellow-nilled Loon is more  
routine than it is in N. Am.). Here are their responses. To my  
requests for opinions.
________________________________________________________________________
March 23

Hi Ian,

We're confident this poor bird is immer, not adamsii, on head pattern  
etc. Also the dark upper mandible is being lost
against the sea, and the bill paleness, though burnt in the photo, is  
grey, not cream.
Cheers,
Steve

Steve Gantlett
Birding World, Sea Lawn, Coast Road, Cley next the Sea,
Holt, Norfolk NR25 7RZ
Tel. 01263 740913
___________________________________________________________________________

Mar 14, 2011

Hi Ian -

Yeah I don't think it's a Yellow-billed. It just looks too dark.
The black spot in the auricular area could be alternate plumage along
with photo distortion but I don't think it favors either species.
Note alternate Common has smaller back spots than Yellow-billed and
this feature fits Common. Otherwise I don't see anything indicating
second-cycle and this early date for molt would favor an older bird.

The bill seems oddly pale, but could this be based somehow on the
polypro restricting circulation or something? It could also be
lighting/angle.

Cheers,

Peter

__________________________________________________________________________

I also consulted Paul Buckley, a long-time acquaintance and widely  
knowledgeable U.S. field ornithologist, and he too declared it a  
Yellow-billed Loon.

I think these replies make the bird at least problematic, and probably  
not acceptable by a bird recotrds committee, I could have consulted  
the advanced birding e-group, but answers from them are sometimes all  
over the map and not fully thought out.

Cheers, Ian





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