Saturday, May 12, 2012

Cassin's Kingbird in Kinney County

 

This kingbird was found in far northern Kinney Co this morning where there are many text book Westerns.  This not only behaved differently but was calling differently.  The tails was very dark to almost black but appeared very short due to the undertail covers.  The short undertail coverts as shown are not an artifact of the angle the photo was taken...They were long.
If there were white margins to the outer rec.s I could not see them in flight....These are the best photos I could get before an Ash-throated of equal size chased it off. Comments from many, some that know the species far better than I, concur this is indeed a Cassin's Kingbird.  A bird that is likely not only a county but regional  first record.
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