Re: [cobirds] Re: Intriguing photo from Boulder County. Seek opinions.

The bill color is wrong. McCay's have a dark bill.

Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 12, 2018, at 12:36 PM, Erik Hendrickson <erik.hendrickson755@gmail.com> wrote:

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   McKay's Bunting, Kenai/Soldotna Cannery Flats, 12/26/2011

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On Thursday, October 11, 2018 at 2:02:01 PM UTC-6, Joe Roller wrote:

I received the photo (below) from Dave Hyde, taken in Nederland Oct 10, by a nameless photographer.

It's an intriguing bird, so I thought I'd share it on COBirds.

My first reaction was leucistic Dark-eyed Junco. Leucistic, not albino, based on 

the dark iris and black on wings. Albino would be all white and have a pink iris. However (by coincidence I think), 

it does come close to what a breeding plumage McKay's Bunting would look like! 

Why is it not a McKay's Bunting? That species molts to non-breeding plumage in August, per Sibley,

plus it's an Alaskan bird with only a few reports from the coast of Washington and Oregon (per

eBird) and I see no reports from farther south or east of there.

Snow and McKay's Buntings have dinky, dark bills, and the mystery bird shows a larger, pale bill,

compatible with leucistic junco.

THANKS, Dave, for presenting this puzzle.

Joe Roller, Denver

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