CLOSED: Help with ID !!!

Here are a few photos taken at the local Washington, DC Zoo. I thought that they may be suitable for the Birdfiles if properly identified.

Photo #1 ..... I think it is the Scarlet Ibis ?

Photo #2 ... no clue

Photo #3 .....

Photo #4 ....

1. Scarlet Ibis
2. Not sure
3. Burrowing Owl
4. Cattle Egret

#1 - Yep, Scarlet Ibis.
#2 - One of the weavers (Ploceidae), not sure which one (Handbook of the Birds of the World hasn't reached them yet!)
#3 - Burrowing Owl
#4 - Cattle Egret

Resin

WOW I love that Scarlet Ibis!

I guessed #2 was one of the Masked Weavers, but there are several different kinds (northern, southern, vitelline).

A little trip to the Washington DC Zoo website gave me a list of birds, and the only weaver they have is:

Southern Masked-Weaver. :)

nice job you two. it's like you have ESP — posting at the same time!

Good work, everyone. Thanks.

As common as the Cattle Egret is it seemed unusual to have them at a National Zoo. I just thought it may be another specie ?

Were they fully enclosed in a cage, or were they free-flying native ones that happen to have decided the zoo was a nice safe place to be?

The other possibility is that it is a colony they have held since before the time Cattle Egrets started breeding in N America.

Resin

On the their website bird list, Cattle Egret was listed, so it seems they have captive ones.

Yes,Resin, they were in a large enclosure with other tropical birds ..... Thank you all for the research.

I have this hawk identified as a Red-shouldered Hawk but I want to be sure before I include it in the Birdfiles.

Is this an Acadian Flycatcher ?

Yep, Red-shouldered Hawk.

I'll take another look at the flycatcher later

Resin

yes, photo #1 is a scarlet Ibis...they are beautiful birds.

I just found out that there are red shoulered hawks near me & I thought they were Cooper's hawks..they are hard to get a photo here as they are along a busy road where I can't stop! :0)

Thanks, Resin. The photo was actually taken May 27, 2006.

Here is another view.

Hey Lith were there any animals out at the zoo. Looks like that may be one of my stops soon. I plan to hit Blackwater Refuge Sunday.

Take care

Al

Al, sorry I missed your post. I was out most of Saturday and Sunday. Actually, I visited Blackwater on Saturday. I was rather disappointed even though I did see several Bald Eagles. Some of the water was frozen over and a lot of other places were all dried up. Sunday, I visited the Conowingo Dam for my last time until around November. Again, it looks like the Bald Eagles have started to return to their nesting sites. I saw about 10% of what was there at the end of November. I guess my expectations were too high.

The National Zoo in Washington, D.C. is a nice location for photographers. I really have never been there during the winter months but I would think it would still be a nice visit. They have an enclosed aviary for the tropical birds as well as an enclosed outdoor aviary. Hope you enjoy the visit.

How ironic Lithiculm. I visited Blackwater on Sunday and like you I was little dissapointed because there wasn't much activity but I kind of exptected it. I pulled a list of the birds in that area form their site and there isn't really much other than the water birds. According to one of the workers you have to get there before 9am to see most of the water birds before they go elsewhere to feed. Plus part of the drive was closed which according to the worker is the area you'd want to see. Oh btw I did get a photo of the Brown Thrasher while there near the wood trail.

I am just doing my recon for the spring weather though.

I did a couple of distant shots of the Eagle. I posted them in Thread #169.

I will probably visit the zoo and take my daughter that way I can kill 2 birds with one stone - spend quality time with daughter and get some shots in too.

Thanks and take care

Al

This message was edited Jan 5, 2009 11:28 AM