Outdoor Ontario

Request for Information => Bird ID => Topic started by: Shortsighted on May 21, 2018, 09:47:55 PM

Title: Black-bellies Eastern Phoebe
Post by: Shortsighted on May 21, 2018, 09:47:55 PM

I was watching a couple of Eastern Phoebe next to Highland Creek and one of them had a black belly
with a relatively sharp line of demarcation between the normally light-coloured breast and the patch
of dark gray, or black on its belly. Anyone have any ideas what that's all about?

(https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-PnK5K7P/0/3db48f53/L/i-PnK5K7P-L.jpg) (https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-358cgw/i-PnK5K7P/A)
EASTERN PHOEBE

Title: Re: Black-bellies Eastern Phoebe
Post by: Ally on May 21, 2018, 09:58:59 PM

newly dyed hair, newest fashion apparently. :P  :P  :P

Title: Re: Black-bellies Eastern Phoebe
Post by: Shortsighted on May 21, 2018, 10:01:28 PM

Look, if birds are now getting tattoos I'm outta here. No more birding!

Title: Re: Black-bellies Eastern Phoebe
Post by: lovemypt on May 22, 2018, 03:58:37 PM

nesting patch from sitting on nest.....but early for them but again everything is off this year

Title: Re: Black-bellies Eastern Phoebe
Post by: Shortsighted on May 22, 2018, 04:29:49 PM

Thanks for the edification. The location of the dark patch and the ruffled
feathers suggested something to do with nesting but the two Phoebe were
in plain view for quite a while and did not return to a nest as far as I could
tell. Then again, there was a small bridge and they do sometimes nest under
the protection of such a structure and therefore may have visited a nest
beyond my scrutiny. Thank heavens it's not a tattoo.