skinheaddave

Thanks for the suggestion, jlcarratulm. What features did you use to reach that conclusion?

I'm not so sure. I'm not an ornathologist but I have taken a look at some descriptions and images and am noticing a few things. The nostril on this bird are towards the base of the beak and very much a horizontal slit. Turkey vultures appear to have a taller, more flared nostril that sits more mid-beak and results in a real protrusion at the top of the beak .. what I would call a "roman nose" in people. The nostrils appear rounder overall. The beak on this bird is dark with a lightish tip. One of the descriptions I found (http://www.wingmasters.net/tvulture.htm) and many images online show a lighter beak with dark tip for juvenile turkey vultures. In fact, they seem to have proportionally shorter and taller beaks overall .. with that "hook nose" thing going on, even when very young (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0N0Gp2yPJtQ/So...). Add to this the fact that this was only one of dozens of vultures in the area and I didn't see one red head .. plus none of the birders I was around or any guides at that site in the ... four times I've been to that particular spot now .. has every said "turkey vulture." Now, that's not saying this isn't a juvie turkey. I understand they can flock together to some degree. I'm just saying I'm not entirely convinced .. feel free to take a run at convincing me, though.

I've suggested Centruroides sp. as an ID. Both C.margaritatus and C.gracilis range into Columbia but both are polymorphic and are very close in appearance. The entire genus is a bit of a mess and under constant revision. The other option would be Tityus sp., though I would lean towards Centruroides on a G.I.S. basis. If you want to tell for sure then it looks like you likely have the relevant details in your images. Assuming you have a high enough resolution on your camera you should be able to see the cutting surface of the chela. It will have a set of rows of denticles like lines slashed across the surface (http://eycb.pagesperso-orange.fr/scorpio...). Centruroides have substantially fewer than Tityus. I can't recall the exact numbers off-hand but that would be the place to look to nail down genus for sure.

I'd want to, at very least, check the AAS spiral bound before going to genus on this. In fact, I likely already did this and decided I was unhappy going that far without the specimen under my scope. I realize that "field guide" is good enough for ID on here .. but I do get pickier the closer I get to taxa I enjoy.

Thanks. I just wish I had gotten the focus right too.

Karen> It is hard to remember back that far. It would have likely been in and around the COTERC station down there .. though possibly up at Turtle Lodge or down at the National Park.

John> I'll be honest .. most of my old IDs are based on what I had named the files back in '05. Why do you suggest lemurinus vs. limifrons?

I'll grant you the picture doesn't necessarily emphasize the interaction, but that is not a rhinocerous it is eating.

That certainly goes a long way to explaining the lack of facial stripes.

I've done some more research etc. and I think I was right. See how the red colouration really doesn't extend much beyond the shoulders? I'm going to stick with ruficaudus. The other three species found in Canada have that red colouration much further down the back/belly. T.minimus has stripes that extend further down the back and I've yet to see a picture of one sans facial stripes. It doesn't have enough dorsal stripes to be amoenus. In addition to the colouration of the sides and being out of range for striatus, it doesn't seem to have a median dorsal stripe. Might just be a variant of some sort .. but if you add it all up then you have to conclude red tailed.

I am waaaaaay too far North for it to be M.bivittatus. Besides, it fits the description of P.undatus so nicely and I am right in that range.