Bird identification please

[Scott V]

I get to see this bird every morning hanging out in the trees. What is it? Sorry about the poor quality picture, but when you start to use the digital zoom pics don't come out that great.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y85/PsychoZ/IMGP0791.jpg

[JT]

White-tailed kite.

[Scott V]

Thanks JT.

[Terry Thomas]

Scott,
The birding community has this "thing" for changing names of birds...some times back and forth a couple of times. Currently, the bird that you photographed is indeed a white-tailed kite. If you own a bird book more than a few years old, the bird in question would have been called a black shouldered kite. Who knows, if we live long enough it may again be known as the black shouldered kite.
Terry

[Ed Wahl]

oops.

[Ed Wahl]

Oops again.

[Ed Wahl]

Yeah, the poor Sparrow Hawks have been devoured by the Kestrels, the Common Egret by the Great Egret, the Pigeon Hawk by Merlins. When will the slaughter stop? :D Ed

[Terry Thomas]

Ed, Now those really are old. For those into birding, here's a list I found on line of the changes made since us old dudes have been around.
FORMER NAME CURRENT NAME
Cape Verde Islands Petrel- Fea's Petrel
Olivaceous Cormorant - Neotropic Cormorant
Louisiana Heron - Tricolored Heron
Whistling Swan- Tundra Swan
Falcated Teal - Falcated Duck
Common Pintail - Northern Pintail
Common or American Scoter- Black Scoter
American Swallow-tailed Kite -Swallow-tailed Kite
Black-shouldered Kite -White-tailed Kite
Common Bobwhite -Northern Bobwhite
Common Gallinule -Common Moorhen
Lesser Golden-Plover -Pacific Golden-Plover
Lesser Golden-Plover -American Golden-Plover
Rufous-necked Stint -Red-necked Stint
Northern Phalarope -Red-necked Phalarope
Common Black-headed Gull -Black-headed Gull
Common Screech Owl -Eastern Screech-Owl
Common Screech Owl - Western Screech-Owl
Fork-tailed Emerald -Canivet's Emerald
Coppery-tailed Trogon- Elegant Trogon
Arizona Woodpecker -Strickland's Woodpecker
Spectacled Foliage-gleaner -Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner
Spectacled Antpitta -Streak-chested Antpitta
Fulvous-bellied Antpitta -White-lored Antpitta
Fulvous-bellied Antpitta -Thicket Antpitta
Beardless Flycatcher -Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
Coues' Flycatcher -Greater Pewee
Western Pewee - Western Wood-Pewee
Eastern Pewee - Eastern Wood-Pewee
Greater Antillean Pewee -Cuban Pewee
Western Flycatcher -Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Western Flycatcher -Cordilleran Flycatcher
Thrush-like Manakin- Thrush-like Schiffornis
Broad-billed Sapayoa -Sapayoa
Gray-headed Manakin - Gray-headed Piprites
Solitary Vireo- Blue-headed Vireo
Solitary Vireo- Cassin's Vireo
Solitary Vireo- Plumbeous Vireo
Scrub Jay -Florida Scrub-Jay
Scrub Jay -Island Scrub-Jay
Scrub Jay -Western Scrub-Jay
Gray-breasted Jay -Mexican Jay
Mexican Crow - Tamaulipas Crow
White-necked Raven - Chihuahuan Raven
Plain Titmouse - Oak Titmouse
Plain Titmouse- Juniper Titmouse
Slender-billed Wren -Sumichrast's Wren
Slender-billed Wren-- Nava's Wren
Short-billed Marsh Wren -Sedge Wren
Long-billed Marsh Wren - Marsh Wren
Water Pipit -American Pipit
Chat Tanager- Eastern Chat-Tanager
Chat Tanager -Western Chat-Tanager
Scarlet-rumped Tanager - Passerini's Tanager
Scarlet-rumped Tanager- Cherrie's Tanager
Blue-hooded Euphonia - Elegant Euphonia
Golden-masked Tanager - Golden-hooded Tanager
Yellow-throated Brush-Finch - White-naped Brush-Finch
Black-headed Brush-Finch -Stripe-headed Brush-Finch
Rufous-sided Towhee- Eastern Towhee
Rufous-sided Towhee- Spotted Towhee
Brown Towhee - California Towhee
Brown Towhee -Canyon Towhee
Sharp-tailed Sparrow -Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Sharp-tailed Sparrow - Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Gray-headed Junco Dark-eyed Junco
Oregon Junco --Dark-eyed Junco
White-winged Junco -Dark-eyed Junco
Slate-colored Junco- Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Oriole -Baltimore Oriole
Northern Oriole -Bullock's Oriole
Rosy Finch -Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
Rosy Finch -Black Rosy-Finch
Rosy Finch --Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
Common Amakihi - Hawaii Amakihi
Common Amakihi- Oahu Amakihi
Common Amakihi - Kauai Amakihi

[Ed Wahl]

Fulvous-bellied Antpitta -White-lored Antpitta

This one just really chaps my hide. :lol: :lol: Ed

[Ed Wahl]

Terry, my latest copy of the National Audobon Field Guide to North American Birds (western edition) still lists the Rufous-Sided Towhee as just that. I swear if those wierd bird people try to change that birds name on me I'll go postal on 'em.

Terry, are you bird nut too? Ed

[nrthcsteel]

WOW Terry! Thats quite a list you put together there. very impressive. Ed the first thing that runs through my mind when I see a Kestrel is "SPARROW HAWK" My dad ingraned this into my head from my youth. And even now when I say dad check out that Kestrel, he says "HUH< OH YOU MEAN THAT SPARROW HAWK OVER THERE!" We have a pretty strong population of kites over here on the coast. Talking with some local bird experts I guess they werent that common in this area in the years past but they seem to have adapted to the coast and they now there are many of them and can be seen doing there hover hunting on the coastal headlands quite often. Very cool looking bird and a fun one to watch hunt. My favorite to watch hunt though still has to be the Northern Harrier. Although one day at the Arcata Marsh,( unbelievable spot for birding by the way if your ever in Eureka or Arcata and your into birding you HAVE TO GO THERE!) We were watching a large group of various shorebirds working the low tide flats. Out of the corner of our eyes we caught this bird coming in hot AND FAST! I was with two other people and we all caught site of it about the same time. We all just sort of said "PEREGRINE". Well the shorebirds caught site of him about the same time and they all scattered. That peregrine flew right into the whole pack of em and then SWOOPED up through them all ,like a rocket! He never did get one and it didnt even look like he was trying, Seemed like it would be easy pickings for him. It was almost as if he was just messing with em all like "HA HA SCARED THE S___ OUT OF THOSE GUYS!! " Peregrines are in a league of there own for sure. Kevin

[Terry Thomas]

Ed,
Yea, really got the "bird bug" about ten years ago. Actually didn't fish much for three or four years chasing birds. Back to reality now; do still enjoy the chase of those rare birds though.
T.