Kentucky Warbler and Ovenbird (FOS)

There was a little migration happening last night . . . but not too much.  There is a high pressure system sitting over the northern states right now which has created unfavorable conditions for migration.  A cold front is expected to move down around Friday so I am hoping that will bring us some more birds for the weekend. 

We banded 15 new birds and had 7 recaptures of 10 different species today.  We had a few more migrants today including two new species for the 2013 fall season:  Ovenbird and Kentucky Warbler.  This Kentucky Warbler is only the second banding record for KIBS in five years of fall banding.   

Kentucky Warbler (HY, male)

 

Ovenbird (HY, sex unknown)

We also banded our first adult (AHY) male American Redstart today.  In fact, all three redstarts banded today were AHY males.  One of the redstarts had an unusual plumage aberration.  He had a few white feathers on his head and nape, and the orange coloration in the wings and tail was muted.  This condition is known as leucism which is the complete loss of pigment in some or all of the feathers.  Leucism is attributed to the expression of mutant alleles or deviations in gene expression that disrupts the pigmentation at feather development.  It is different than albinism in that birds with leucism will generally have normal colored soft parts (legs, feet, skin, and eyes). 

- Aaron



American Redstart (AHY, male)

NEW BIRDS
1 "Traill's" Flycatcher
1 Red-eyed Vireo
1 Carolina Wren
1 Northern Mockingbird
2 Prairie Warbler
3 American Redstart
1 Kentucky Warbler
1 Ovenbird
1 Northern Cardinal
3 Painted Bunting

RECAPTURES
2 Carolina Wren
5 Painted Bunting

BANDING STATS
# of Birds Banded:  15
# of Recaptures:  7
# of Species:  10
Effort:  108.0 net-hours
Capture Rate:  20.4 birds/100 net-hours
# of Nets:  20