Merlin Bird ID not helping much

[MacMe]

For some reason Merlin ID isn't helping with #2 and #3 of these.  Just want to run them by you all to confirm. All taken Dec 28th in Corpus Christi, TX.

1.Lesser Scaup female

2. Eastern Bluebird Female

3. Vermillion Flycatcher

4. Long-billed Thrasher

5.Couch's Kingbird

 

Edited December 29, 2020 by MacMe

[Aaron]

1. Yes

2. Vermillion flycatcher

3. Yes

4. Maybe, but I don’t know how to separate from brown thrasher so maybe someone else does.

5. ?

[Birding Boy]

1: Lesser Scaup

2: Female type Vermilion Flycatcher, note the dark eyeline and reddish underbelly.

3: correct

4: I believe you are right about this one, but I have little experience with the species.

5: Couchs/Tropical Kingbird. Couch’s is definitely more probable in your area, but they can reliably only be separated by voice.

annnd sniped again, by @Aaron

Edited December 29, 2020 by Birding Boy

[BirdNrd]

I don't know, I may be overthinking it but it looks like the thrasher is a Brown. I could be wrong though

[Birding Boy]

4 minutes ago, BirdNrd said:

I don't know, I may be overthinking it but it looks like the thrasher is a Brown. I could be wrong though

I think a Brown Thrasher would have more spoting/streaking visible on the flanks from this angle. 

[Colton V]

The thrasher looks too bright reddish to be Long-billed.

[Tony Leukering]

48 minutes ago, Birding Boy said:

I think a Brown Thrasher would have more spoting/streaking visible on the flanks from this angle. 

Both species are usually heavily streaked on the flanks, though Long-billed's streaking tends to be blacker, though even that is nothing on which to hang an ID.

Brown

Long-billed

[Seanbirds]

Brown Thrasher for me. 98% sure.

[Tony Leukering]

As for the kingbird, the bill looks long and relatively shallow, which should point toward Tropical. Of course, in Corpus, Couch's is WAAAAYY more likely (see here).

[Tony Leukering]

1 hour ago, MacMe said:

1.Lesser Scaup female

2. Eastern Bluebird Female

Immature Lesser Scaup (note dark eye for age), sex unknown

Female Eastern Bluebirds have red on the chest, not white

[MacMe]

Thanks everyone. I don't have anything better on the Thrasher.  I botched the first shot and it didn't hang around for a second shot.  Also, I don't recall the kingbird making any sounds, though there were 3-4 hanging around each other

[IKLland]

here are my thoughts, 

bird 1. Yes

bird 2. Vermillion flycatcher 

bird three. Yes

bird four. Brown thrasher( but not certain)

bird five. Couch’s kingbird

[MacMe]

14 hours ago, MacMe said:

 I don't recall the kingbird making any sounds, though there were 3-4 hanging around each other

I listened to some recordings.  Even though I wasn't paying attention to the calls, the trills of the Tropical do not sound familiar.  Also, the relatively long and stout bills of Tropical and Couch's, respectively, both look the same to me. Combine this with the ranges of each species. Unless someone with better knowledge says otherwise I am going to go with Couch's Kingbird

[Seanbirds]

19 hours ago, MacMe said:

Thanks everyone. I don't have anything better on the Thrasher.  I botched the first shot and it didn't hang around for a second shot.  Also, I don't recall the kingbird making any sounds, though there were 3-4 hanging around each other

As for the thrasher, it looks too reddish to be a Long-billed. Brown is my final answer.

[Birding Boy]

47 minutes ago, Seanbirds said:

As for the thrasher, it looks too reddish to be a Long-billed. Brown is my final answer.

Agreed, I’m changing my vote to Brown Thrasher as well.

[Aaron]

Its face is also not what I’d call grey, and those wing bars are not what I’d consider as narrow. The bill also does not look curved enough, but don’t think that’s reliable from the photo.

I’d lean more to brown as well

 

[Charlie Spencer]

Sure looks like what I call Brown Thrasher here in SC.

[Seanbirds]

I'm positive because I'm quite familiar with both species. Here's a comparison:

Brown

Long-billed