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Field guide depictions of the rare Mexican robins are inconsistent. The NGS Clay-colored Robin is shown with a bill color closely matching this White-throated Robin, vastly different from the all dark Howell rendition and the mostly yellow Sibley. In some 30 birds I have seen in south TX, including 4 nesting pairs, the bill is MOSTLY yellow. Sibley's more muted throat pattern is far more accurate (with respect to TX birds) than either Howell or the exaggerated NGS guide. Likewise, White-throated Robin needs some sorting out. The VERY dark NGS (4th ed.) example seems intended to match Howell's leucachen of the humid SE MX, yet is shown with an all dark bill (of Western Mexico?). The only thing going for the NGS, is the restricted white streaking of the throat matches the bird shown on this page. However, this individual does not exhibit a bill color pattern depicted in either Howell or the NGS, rather something intermediate. Although this bird was overall on the dark chocolate end of the spectrum, a turn in the light would render a dazzling olivaceous tone to the upper back (akin to what appears to rendered in Howell). In the above photos, the first two, where the sunlight hits the upperparts, some of this hue comes across. |
