Liam

Unfortunately no! Look like they do some great and valuable research at the lab, though.

Yes, but when I calculate the score, the 0.25 of a point automatically rounds down. 😛

Yes! Like age and sex, it can be an important factor to consider when identifying certain birds.

Here's this week's quiz bird! Please DM me using the same message thread as the last quiz bird.

Thank you for your submissions!! The correct answer for this week's quiz is juvenile Golden-cheeked Warbler!! This photo was taken at Fort Hood, Texas on May 7th. This week's quiz was particularly challenging because the age of the bird lends no hint to the species due to the dissimilarity in plumage! Plus, the bill is disproportionally large due to the young age of the bird. The long insectivorous bill, body shape, and wingbars suggest warbler. Looking at the habitat, the bird is perched in an juniper, which is a huge clue. The Golden-cheeked Warbler is very closely dependent on old-growth Ashe Juniper, requiring stands aged 30+ years. When ashe juniper reaches this age, the bark on the trunk begins to peel and the peeling bark is the main constituent of the nest. This species feeds on arthropods in the Ashe Juniper, but prefers to forage on Spanish, Live, and Post Oak, or Texas Ash. Thus, a mix of juniper and deciduous trees is ideal. Here's daddy feeding the whipper-snapper! Those who guessed Golden-cheeked Warbler get 3 points, those who guessed any species in the genus Setophaga get 2 points, and anyone who guessed any species in the family Parulidae gets 1 point. Anyone who guessed juvenile Golden-cheeked Warbler gets an additional point. Sex cannot be determined. Here's the 9/16/21 scoreboard. _________________________________ 1. AidanB, BirdingBoy, ConnorCochorane, IKLland, TheBirdNuts - 6 points 2. Kevin, Lonestranger, Quiscalusquiscula - 5 points 3. BirdNrd - 4 points 4. Kerri - 3 points 5. Avery, meghann - 2 points 6. BlueJay, Clip, Kansasbirdguy - 0 points _________________________________ Thanks again for your submissions! This week's quiz will be posted shortly.

hahahaha no

Looks like another one showed up in the Kentville area this morning too: https://ebird.org/checklist/S94686951 Interesting pattern!

Looks like there is one being seen on Brier Island, so it could be the same bird if you are in the region.

I agree with blackburnian. Get the word out about this record! Nice find!

I agree these are Eastern Towhees, albeit unusual song types. Here are some similar songs from the same region: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/63558701 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/170013661 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/197007 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/172990461

Hah! You call that a beard? I think I confused y'all about the "lure." Snapping Turtles have a lure on the tongue that resembles and wiggles like a worm to attract prey. There was no angler equipment swallowed by any of our turtles (at least that we saw). We attracted the turtles using bait in a canister set inside a hoop trap. The turtles are attracted to the smell of the bait, enter the trap through a cone-shaped entrance, and can't figure out how to get back out, similar to a soda bottle wasp trap.

Alligator Snapping Turtles actually have a pretty widespread range in eastern drainages in Texas. A buddy of mine does research on these populations and we trapped these in the Angelina River basin this weekend. After a few measurements, we sent them on their merry way. Lil guy One still had a Yellow Bullhead caught in the throat, still attached to the lure.

Just a heads up - I will be posting the answer and putting up next week's quiz bird on Thursday instead of Friday, since I'll be out doing field work in Camp County on Friday and Saturday.

You're welcome to change your answer in your DM to me. 🙂

So far, I've received 8 submissions but only 1 correct answer! Most are quite far off the base, so I'll provide a hint to help y'all along! HINT: This is a habitat specialist species! Take a look at what's in the picture. The species is very dependent on certain plant species and the associated invertebrates that are found on them. Don't let its appearance fool you, it may be a very colorful species!