ID required (Several from Mexico)

[Two Jugs]

I have just returned from a vacation in Huatulco, Mexico, and in addition to a number of great birds, I took a number of shots of species that I could not immediately identify.
If anyone has the time, I would welcome any suggestions for the ID of the birds on the following two web pages:-

http://www.twojugs.ca/UnsureIDMexico2009/album/FinalUnsureID/index.html

Many thanks

Tony Johnson
twojugsATrogers.com

[Graham Etherington]

Tony,
Here are my best guesses:

Top row:
first two photos - Couch's Kingbird.
3rd and 5th photo - Vermillion Flycatcher (female)
6th bird - Berylline Hummingbird?

2nd Row:
first two photos - Berylline Hummingbird?
5th photo - 1st winter male Hooded Oriole
6th photo - Collared Plover

3rd Row:
first two photos - Collared Plover
3rd and 6th photo - dark phase Broad-winged Hawk (juvenile)
4th and 5th photo - Red-tailed Hawk

4th Row:
1st 3 birds - dark phase Broad-winged Hawk (juvenile)
6th photo - Snow Egrets with White Ibis (juvenile)

Page 2:
1st Row:
1st photo - White Ibis (juvenile)
photo 2 - 6 - Short-tailed Hawk (adult, light-phase)

2nd Row:
first two birds - Western Tanager
3rd phot - Wilson's Warbler (female)
4th photo - the bird in the foreground is a Least Sandpiper, and I guess the bird in the background is too, but it really looks a lot like a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper too!
5th photo - Least Sandpiper
6th photo - Common Tern

3rd Row:
first two photos - Common Tern
last two photos - female Hooded Oriole maybe?

Best wishes,
Graham

[Alex Lees]

Hi Tony

With the caveat that I've never been to anywhere in Mexico, or indeed Central America I broadly agree with Graham's choices. The Buteo is however interesting - I would have gone with dark morph Short-tailed Hawk - I've never seen a dark morph Broad-wing (I guess they are pretty rare and it would be great to see more images of one) but the structure, tail-pattern and strong black trailing edge to the wing on a juv. seems more indicative of Short-tailed for me, cf bird 18 here (http://www.utahbirds.org/featarts/2006/BroadWingedHawk.htm) with this one (http://floridabirdingtrail.com/images/shorttailedhawk.JPG). Buteo sp 3545 & 3546 doesn't leave much to play with but my best guess is Red-tailed Hawk (with a Turkey Vulture in one shot [assuming its not size-illusion Zone-tailed Hawk]). Hummer 4444 & 4445 is a Heliomaster starthroat sp, not sure how to separate them without any literature to hand, likewise 4273 and 4274 also have a starthroaty look about them. On your main Mexico photo page the picture of 'Ivory-billed Woodcreeper' (p 2. 4382) is a Campylorhynchus wren - presumably Rufous-naped.

cheers

Alex

[Graham Etherington]

Hi Alex,
Yes, I think you're probably right about the dark Buteo being a Short-tailed. I guess on closer inspection there is contrast between the white primary patch and the greyer secondaries. I've only recall seeing dark-phase BWH once and it's hardly fresh in my memory.
On another note, Tony asked me off-list why I plumped for Couch's and not Tropical Kingbird. Although the bird does look quite similar to Tropical KB in that it has quite broad fringes to the tertials, coverts and tail, and what appears to be a fairly strong mask, the bill doesn't look long enough for Tropical and more like that of Couch's and the intensity of green on the back is more in fitting with Couch's than Tropical. It's a difficult bird for sure though and I couldn't put my hand on my heart and say that it's definately a Couch's.
Oh, and for the Empid (page 1, top row, photo 4), maybe Least Flycatcher?
Cheers,
Graham

[Graham Etherington]

Hi Tony,
Thanks for adding more sandpiper photos. The second bird is obviously a Least Sand. There's no difference in size between the two birds and the Sharp-tailed Sand features from the main gallery are due to it being darker and streakier than the paler bird in the foreground.
Graham

[Jim McConnell]

I really enjoyed your Mexico bird photos. Most interesting to me were the first two starthroat photos. Normally, northwest Mexico (including Huatulco) is known for its relatively common Plain-capped Starthroats. However, the bird in your photo may be a candidate for Long-billed, which does go as far north as Oaxaca. Note that there is a white dot behind the eye just exactly as Long-billed has, and not the broad white stripe area of Plain-capped. Also, the the white on the rump and sides of back, usually so broad and obvious in Plain-capped appear missing. The most obvious indication of these sorts of markings is only seen in a single spot on the mid to lower side of back in your bird, exactly where it occurs in Long-billed Starthroat. In Long-billed, the throat is normally a thin area of dark extending from the lower throat up to the bill. The vestiges of this can be seen in your photo, but only vestiges, as often occurs in hummer throats of various species in various ages or molts. Also, the back appears a bit more greenish,which may be the strange light, than most Plain-caps, and seems more indicative of Long-billed perhaps.
Well, just a few thoughts.

[JanJ]

I liked Tony's fine images of the dark-morphed Short-tailed Hawk.
Just a comment on Alex suggestion that the hawk is a juvenile (if I got him right). Since Tony's hawh has a broad dark trailing edge, broad dark terminal tail band it´s an adult, less broad trailing edge and terminal tail band in juveniles, the tail pattern alone would exclude an adult Broad-winged Hawk, which have a tail pattern like this:

http://www.hamiltonnature.org/birds/images/Broad-wingedHawk.jpg

The BWH (bird 18) in Jerry's link (provided by Alex) shows a juvenile, which would be quite similar in plumage features with the adult STH if it wheren´t for the broad dark trailing edge. BWH's has more evenly pale flight feathers on the underwing - lacks the two-toned of STH, that is to say, the greyish innner wing with contrasting whiter outer.

JanJ