Peter Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 A friend took this picture today, May 2, 2022, Skidaway Island, Chatham County, GA. Could this be a Northern shrike ? Thanks, Peter 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 (edited) EDIT I don't like this bird. Edited May 2, 2022 by Charlie Spencer 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 (edited) Blast, the mask is so narrow and doesn't bridge the nose. The breast is so very, very brown. I desperately want to call this Northern. Someone show me the error of my way, please! Edited May 2, 2022 by Charlie Spencer 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birding Boy Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 3 minutes ago, Charlie Spencer said: Blast, the mask is so narrow and doesn't bridge the nose. The breast is so very, very brown. I desperately want to call this Northern. Someone show me the error of my way, please! Couldn’t it be a juvi Loggerhead? Sibley’s shows they can have a narrower mask than adult birds. Date and location would support Loggerhead as well but I have close to no experience with these. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Birding Boy said: Couldn’t it be a juvi Loggerhead? Sibley’s shows they can have a narrower mask than adult birds. Date and location would support Loggerhead as well but I have close to no experience with these. I regularly see LOSH and their offspring here in season. I'll sleep better if it's a LOSH but I've never seen one looking like this, esp. this brown. I'm not sure if it's too early for fledglings. I can't find a LOSH in Macauley even close to this brown. Did I mention I don't like this bird? Edited May 2, 2022 by Charlie Spencer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jodi Nielson Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 My 2 cents. At All About Birds, they show a immature Northern that looks like this one. They describe it as "more brownish than adults, with fine brownish bars on underside. Narrow black mask". 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Jodi Nielson said: At All About Birds, they show a immature Northern that looks like this one. Yeah, that's where I started. Looks a lot like this bird, doesn't it? https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Shrike/photo-gallery , second photo. Edited May 2, 2022 by Charlie Spencer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jodi Nielson Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 @Charlie Spencer Yup, that's the one I was looking at.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 eBird down for maintenance. @Peter, did you friend submit a checklist or otherwise report this bird? If it really is Northern, a lot of people are going to call in with avian flu tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Posted May 3, 2022 Author Share Posted May 3, 2022 WOW ! A lot of good observations and comments. I'm of a mind that it's probably a juvi Loggerhead, now that I've settled down a bit. The yellow beak gape, the overall size impression of a couple of other photos, the summer range of both and the fact that my friend must have been close to get these images (good nature photographer who shoots from his golf cart blind - as he likes to say) The adult loggerheads in this county are extremely skittish and I have never seen one at this location. I will not hear from him until morning - early to bed. More later. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hasan Posted May 3, 2022 Share Posted May 3, 2022 Sorry, there is no chance that a Northern Shrike would be breeding in a state with zero ebirds records of the species. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted May 3, 2022 Share Posted May 3, 2022 (edited) 7 hours ago, Hasan said: Sorry, there is no chance that a Northern Shrike would be breeding in a state with zero ebirds records of the species. I'd agree but does that look like a Loggerhead? There are no records for any bird until it's sighted for the first time. @Peter, whatever the heck it is, that's a terrific photo!! Edited May 3, 2022 by Charlie Spencer 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Posted May 3, 2022 Author Share Posted May 3, 2022 Exchanged comments with my bird photo buddy this morning. He said that the bird flew up close to him as he sat in his "golf cart blind" and didn't appear skittish. It was in the area of a small pond that is located in a pollinator garden and field. He also thinks that it was a juvi. Let's call it a Loggerhead. What 'cha say ? Thanks and good birding ! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipperatl Posted May 3, 2022 Share Posted May 3, 2022 Looks like black feathers starting to come in that will fill in above the eye. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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