Another potential Flycatcher ID issue (1 Viewer)

[hamlinjk15u]

For the record, before posting, I took a lot more time looking through my Sibley and Stokes field guides. I have found many that seem to come close (Gray, Willow, Acadian, potentially Least, maybe even Eastern Wood Pewee) but the main thing that keeps throwing off any of those IDs is the full gray chest and belly. Hoping someone can help with this ID.

Photo taken 20 June 2021 in Nashville, TN

 

[Indobirder]

I'd wager a guess on Eastern Pheobe

 

[KC Foggin]

Phoebe for me as well!

 

[Microtus]

It looks like an Eastern Phoebe to me, too.

 

[hamlinjk15u]

Can I ask what the signature ID points were that you all used to come to the conclusion? Everything I looked at didn't have so much gray. Showed the white coming farther up the breast than on these photos, or even all the way to the head up the middle in some cases.

 

[KenM]

Can I ask what the signature ID points were that you all used to come to the conclusion? Everything I looked at didn't have so much gray. Showed the white coming farther up the breast than on these photos, or even all the way to the head up the middle in some cases.

Most birds conform to the “classic” type, however as in most things you will find a degree of variability within a species and sometimes they can be to an extreme.
Whether this is the case with the subject bird I cannot say as I haven’t seen many EP’s, but I’m sure US birders could contribute more to your question.

Cheers

 

[qwerty5]

Can I ask what the signature ID points were that you all used to come to the conclusion? Everything I looked at didn't have so much gray. Showed the white coming farther up the breast than on these photos, or even all the way to the head up the middle in some cases.

No flycatcher in your area shows that much gray on the chest. So we must rely on other points. Faint wing bars, dark gray head, no eye-ring etc.

 

[hamlinjk15u]

Most birds conform to the “classic” type, however as in most things you will find a degree of variability within a species and sometimes they can be to an extreme.
Whether this is the case with the subject bird I cannot say as I haven’t seen many EP’s, but I’m sure US birders could contribute more to your question.

Cheers

I'm still stuck on how the large amount of gray doesnt match with Eastern Phoebe i can find any photos of anywhere. I know there are variations, but this seems, as you said, to a potential extreme. I am hoping a few US birders can lend a hand with this. Thank you for your comments!

No flycatcher in your area shows that much gray on the chest. So we must rely on other points. Faint wing bars, dark gray head, no eye-ring etc.

No flycatcher, but what are your thoughts on the Eastern Phoebe others have stated?

 

[qwerty5]

I'm still stuck on how the large amount of gray doesnt match with Eastern Phoebe i can find any photos of anywhere. I know there are variations, but this seems, as you said, to a potential extreme. I am hoping a few US birders can lend a hand with this. Thank you for your comments!



No flycatcher, but what are your thoughts on the Eastern Phoebe others have stated?

Sorry, I guess I didn't specify, this is an aberrant Eastern Phoebe. This is not what typical Eastern Phoebes show, which is why you don't see it in your field guides. Aberrant individuals of any bird species occasionally show up and cause ID problems.

 

[hamlinjk15u]

Sorry, I guess I didn't specify, this is an aberrant Eastern Phoebe. This is not what typical Eastern Phoebes show, which is why you don't see it in your field guides. Aberrant individuals of any bird species occasionally show up and cause ID problems.

well doesnt that just make it insaley tough sometimes to identify. well thats pretty crazy!

 

[qwerty5]

well doesnt that just make it insaley tough sometimes to identify. well thats pretty crazy!

Aberrant individuals are rare, so you won't see them very often. They are usually easy to identify once you figure out that they are aberrant.

 

[AveryBartels]

Something to consider is that this appears to be a juvenile based on the fresh looking edges to the wing feathers (would be very worn looking on an adult this time of year) which could account for the more extensive grey on the chest. I'm not finding a lot in the way of pics for juv. of this species. Someone with more firsthand experience of juveniles of this species could probably elaborate.