sfinmt

Just so I'm clear DLecy, I presume the ID difficulty comes down to Bean vs. juvi Greater White-fronted? Someone in another group thought it might be helpful to provide a shot of an adjacent CANG in the same photo with similar angle, position, light so the apparent or relative contrasting features were visible. For what it's worth anyhow....

I perused all my books and multiple web resources and I arrive at Bean Goose as well. It would sure be nice to hear from some others on this. Perhaps the holiday has some folks away from the forum. Head-neck contrast and lack of belly stripes seems to rule out GWFG. When zoomed in on Lightroom, I see orangey-pink hints in the bill and the visible foot.

just one other photo, a bit noisier and farther away. Looks to depict the darker head/lighter neck transition anyway.

Western MT this morning 5/28/23. Noticed two large V's of CANG and I did a double-take on one group - noting a much smaller bird in the formation as they got directly overhead. Snapped a couple quick photos. The bird appears much slighter/lighter than the CANGs but was flapping similarly to them, and not rapidly like a duck. I cropped the photo and lightened it a bit to reveal a dark(but not black) head, no chin patch, long narrow wings, and maybe a hint of yellow or orange on the bill. Wayward Eurasian goose? Escaped domestic? Any ideas?

I think all Lessers. That middle bird in the first photo isn't "cheeky" enough for Greater - and in the last photo the same bird has a peaked head.

Boldly-spotted undertail coverts. White corners on broad tail. Yeah...Robin looks good to me, but I might be missing something.

Yes. That gray cheek patch is a great mark.

What about Alder here? Hint of eyering - more so than what I might expect on Willow. The broad tail seems to rule out Least.

The tail pattern fits into the array of light-morph Harlan's, but the rest of the bird appears dark-morph Western. Perhaps this an intergrade Western/Harlan's.

I am thinking a first-cycle Thayer's would have an all-back bill and I would expect more defined lighter edges to the primary tips. This is has a first-cycle Herring vibe to me. Spotty scapulars, inner primary window, and the pale mucky bill base. See what others think.

The thin crisp streaks on the breast and lack of any UTC markings are leaning to juvi COHA for me.

Thin toes suggests Sharpie.

I see strong barring on the greater coverts which suggests AMWI. EUWI coverts would have dark centers with weak bars. On my computer screen the head looks quite gray.

I see wide and fairly blurry chest markings, along with some barring on the flanks, and fairly even-length retrices - - all pointing me to SSHA.

Merlin and Red-tailed Hawk are correct.

A dark-morph harlani would typically appear quite black, and usually variably streaked with white. I see nothing in these photos that decidedly moves to Harlan's. Perhaps then just a dark or intermediate morph calurus.

I think your oranger-billed photo may be Z.l. gambelii, unless it's a yellow bill stained orange by fruit? The yellower-billed photos appear to be Z.l.nuttalli.

Yes. You'll often find their tails described as fan-shaped (crow) or wedge-shaped (raven). Most field guides note this.

Definitely raven.

2nd Cycle Thayer's Iceland perhaps. Wait for other opinions though.

Thanks gang.

western MT, Dec 19,2019. Would like some feedback or confirmation on this one. I am thinking dark-morph juvi Harlan's. Juvenile - because it lacks subterminal bands on retrices and remiges. Harlan's - because it was a very dark bird with white speckles on throat, belly, and back, and... this from HawkWatch Int'l website: "Dark-morph Juvenile ranges from completely streaked below to solidly dark. Juvenile typically has outer primaries banded at the tips, and tail tip shows "spiked" look " This bird displays the outer primaries banded at the tips, but unless the tail is worn, I don't think I can make out a "spiked" look.

Looks like a Red-tailed.

You got it.

Golden-crowned Kinglet