A different Flycatcher. ID please.

[Ramon Quisumbing]

This morning, I was surprised to capture a different Flycatcher - another lifer? - in the understorey of the mini-forest in front of my house in BK Valley, Mt. Banahaw (approx. 2,500 feet elevation). This one is slightly bigger than the lifer yesterday (possible female Little Pied Flycatcher) and is light brown and white, not grey and white.

ID please.

[paulbourdin]

It looks very similar to this bird that I photographed on Makiling yesterday, which is a female Narcissus Flycatcher.

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Yaaayyy! Another lifer! Thanks, Paul. Now if only I can see the beautiful male Narcissus Flycatcher.

[des]

To be Narcissus it would need to be a lot bigger than the other bird: 130-135mm v c.108mm. That is more than 20% in length, which is 70% in volume. Although it does look very like Paul's bird, this one is very white underneath, and I don't think Narcissus ever gets that white. Also we can't see the bill structure. I suspect it is a sub-adult Little Pied.

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Nov 20, 2011 8:48:08 GMT des said:

To be Narcissus it would need to be a lot bigger than the other bird: 130-135mm v c.108mm. That is more than 20% in length, which is 70% in volume. Although it does look very like Paul's bird, this one is very white underneath, and I don't think Narcissus ever gets that white. Also we can't see the bill structure. I suspect it is a sub-adult Little Pied.

Des, by "other bird", are you referring to the female Little Pied Flycatcher that I posted in "Bird Identification" yesterday? That other bird was visibly smaller than this bird (I can compare because they were both in the same area of the same tree).

Here is another photo.

[des]

You wrote SLIGHTLY bigger. Narcissus is much bigger. It would look at least half as big again. Narcissus are generally much yellower than Paul's photo, and usually very olive above. However, I have taken a closer look at the wings, and structurally the primaries are much too long for Little Pied. The primary projection is very long, possibly even longer than the exposed tertials. The lowest new bird seems to have a rusty shoulder patch of which there is no evidence in the second photo. The second bird has significant pale fringes to the tertials and greater and median coverts, but doesn't show an obvious rusty upper tail. It does show plain unfringed primary coverts of the right length though.

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Sorry, Des, I am not very good or technical in describing features of birds. I used "slightly" bigger because the second bird was a bit bigger than the first bird yesterday. The second bird is also a bit smaller than the Green-Backed Whistler that I photographed in the same area last month. The Kennedy Guide lists the Little Pied Flycatcher as 4-1/4", the Narcissus Flycatcher as 5-1/4", and the Green-Backed Whistler as 6-1/4" -- which are about the size differences between the first bird and the second bird and the Green-Backed Whistler that I captured.

So, what is your best guess as to what the second bird is? Thanks.

[des]

Having checked some Japanese photoguides I am more confident in agreeing with Paul. I believe it is a first winter - hence the large pale fringes - female Narcissus ssp narcissina.
If you are netting birds then you have a marvellous opportunity to look at and describe every aspect of the bird's plumage in the kind of detail i have been trying to do in these descriptions. It is great that you are already paying careful attention so that you are bringing these birds to our notice.
If you saw another bird of 4 3/4" next to the Little Pied I am sure you would notice the size difference. Even at 4 1/2" (assuming it isn't just a longer tail) it would be about 6% longer and 1.06 cubed bigger in overall size ie 19%. To me that is slightly bigger

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Great, thanks for the confirmation that it is a female Narcissus Flycatcher. Another lifer for me.