October 2023 Photo Quiz

Tony Leukering
Dodge City, KS
greatgrayowl@aol.com

Given the excellent size comparison with the leaves and stems, this month’s quiz bird must be rather small. There seems to be an eye ring; obvious white wing bars; white leading edges to the tertials; long-ish primary projection; a short-ish tail; and olive back, nape, and crown. Some birders will immediately recognize the bird from two characters, one of which I have not mentioned. Others might take the clue of the photo date being 9 October (in New Jersey) as being helpful in ruling out some options (depending on location, of course). Other useful ID features on this bird include the shape and color pattern of the tail and – not visible here – the color of its toes.

What species is represented here?

Photos and answers are supplied by Tony Leukering, a field ornithologist based in southeast Dodge City, KS, with strong interests in bird migration, distribution, and identification. He has worked for five different bird observatories from coast to coast and considers himself particularly adept at taking quiz photos (that is, bad pictures!). Leukering is a member of the Colorado Bird Records Committee and had been a reviewer for eBird since its inception. He is also interested in most everything else that flies, particularly moths and odonates.