Blackbirds & Orioles (Icterids)
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Bronzed Cowbird at Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, TX
This interesting bird is molting yet retains a yellow gape flange. Sibley does not depict a yellow gape flange in adults birds. Pyle (Identification Guide to North American Birds, 2nd. ed.) curiously makes no mention of a gape flange with regard to ageing cowbirds at all. Based upon handling 1000+ juvenile Brown-headed Cowbirds in Oklahoma, I know males of that age are well into their pre-basic molt by late June. I would therefore identify this bird as juvenile male in pre-basic molt. Note too the fawn tips to the greater secondary coverts. Is this significant in ageing?
All photographs by Victor W. Fazio III (Part of the AVES.NET PHOTOGRAPHIC INDEX).
All these images are digital stills (0.84 megapixel) off a Sony TRV340 25x camcorder (usually with 2x teleconverter attached = 1750 mm lens).
