Mystery Bird photographed Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama, USA. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Terry Sohl, 13 February 2008 [larger view].
Canon 20D, 400 5.6L
This North American species is often treated as a subspecies of its European "sister" but is now regarded as a separate species by some authorities. You might be surprised to learn that its European sister species is a red list species of conservation concern in the UK because its population has declined by more than half in the last 25 years. Can you identify this species and its European sister species, and tell me which plumage cycle it is in?
Daily Mystery Bird Rules:
1. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification, keeping in mind that more than one field mark is often necessary to distinguish between species. IDs without any supporting information are not valid.
2. Expert and intermediate level birders are asked to provide helpful hints, such as descriptions, literary references, puns, personal anecdotes, and other forms of discussion and assistance for beginning birders without naming the species (instead of trying to be the first to blurt out the mystery bird's ID). Expert and intermediate birders are free to name the bird species 24 or more hours after it was first published.
3. Each mystery bird is usually accompanied by a question or two. These questions can be useful for identifying the pictured species, but may instead be used to illustrate an interesting aspect of avian biology, behaviour or evolution, or may be intended to generate conversation on other topics, such as conservation.
4. Each bird species will be demystified 48 hours after publication.
If you have bird images, video or mp3 files that you'd like to share with a large and appreciate audience, feel free to email them to me.
