Re: [SBB] Cycle birds

[Joseph Morlan <[[email protected]]>]

On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 19:02:37 -0800 (PST), Jack Cole <[[email protected]]>
wrote:

>  When did we start referring to birds (gulls only, or other species?) as a certain cycle instead of a certain year or season? Is there a difference? Is there a new field guide out that refers to cycles?

In addition to Al's articulate explanation, I would refer the interested
birder to the section on molts in "Sibley's Birding Basics."  I highly
recommended the book for birders at all levels.  There you will find a nice
understandable explanation of "formative plumage" as well as a cool chart
showing the different molt strategies used by different groups of birds.  

>  While I'm at it, just what is the difference between a female-plumaged bird and a female bird? Does this imply that a female-plumaged bird could be a male?

I think that's the way it is often used.  For example a female-plumaged
Purple Finch could be a female or it could be an immature male.  Since we
often don't know which, we express the ambiguity using "female-plumaged"
Purple Finch.  



-- 
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94044  jmorlan (at) ccsf.edu 
Birding Classes start Feb 7 in SF  http://fog.ccsf.edu/~jmorlan/
California Bird Records Committee  http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/

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