RE: [cobirds] status of "Red-backed" Junco in Colorado

Peter et al,
The bird at Red Rocks was photographed by Steve Mlodinow, not me.  Unfortunately I got no photos of the recent Crow Valley bird.  In his post, Steve said the Red Rocks bird was a good candidate for a hybrid between Red-backed and Gray-headed.  The other marks (besides the bill color feature you mentioned) stated in the literature are bill size (R-b a bit bigger than G-h) and pale throat and upper breast (that in R-b contrasts with the rest of the darker gray underparts, with G-h being uniformly gray underneath).

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins

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Date: Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:06:26 -0600
Subject: Re: [cobirds] status of "Red-backed" Junco in Colorado
From: peterburke@gmail.com
To: zebrilus@gmail.com
CC: cobirds@googlegroups.com

Doug & Cobirds,

Since we're on the topic of Red-backed vs. Gray-headed Juncos, the field mark I've been relying on is bill color: single color for Gray-headed, bi-colored in the case of Red-backed. My question is whether this character is diagnostic or not? The Junco David photographed at Red Rocks was sporting a bi-colored bill...

Good birding,

Peter Burke

Boulder, CO

On Sun, Mar 31, 2013 at 8:31 PM, Doug Faulkner <zebrilus@gmail.com> wrote:

David,

The Colorado Bird Records Committee does not have any record for that subspecies and I am unaware of any extralimital reports for other states north of its range.  My understanding is that Red-backed Junco does very little (if any) seasonal movement in a way that would be considered migration.  However, species that might be grouped in that category, like Greater Roadrunner and Canyon Towhee, occur out of range more frequently (and at quite some distance) than their non-migratory status would imply.   Due to its similarity with Gray-headed Junco, it's conceivable for Red-backed Junco to have occurred in the state and gone unnoticed.

Thanks for bringing this topic to our attention.  I for one will be thinking about this possibility anytime I come across a "red-backed" junco on the eastern plains.

good birding,

Doug Faulkner

Arvada, CO

On Sun, Mar 31, 2013 at 12:30 PM, DAVID A LEATHERMAN <daleatherman@msn.com> wrote:

The other day, buried amid a mixed-subject post, I asked (so far unanswered) if anyone on this listserv knows whether the so-called "Red-backed" Dark-eyed Junco has occurred in Colorado and/or whether it has any history whatsoever of occurring outside its normal range of Arizona to West Texas.  This subspecies is Junco hyemalis dorsalis and is considered distinct from our reddish-backed breeder in CO (aka the "Gray-headed Junco, J. h. caniceps).   I had a junco with a bright red back patch at Crow Valley the other day that "looked different" and it just got me to wondering about this junco subspecies.  Thanks.

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins

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