Is this a Merriam instead of an Eastern?

[bigbucks]

Cousin shot this bird in Central MN on Saturday evening. I don't really know the difference, but some of his friends wondered if this was a Merriam instead of an Eastern Tom because of the white on the tail feathers. So experts what do you say?

[123fish]

I would guess that bird as a hybrid. Looks exactly like the hybrids we shoot out in Nebraska.

[MarkB]

Looks like a Rio Grande..Merriam's are white on the band, that one looks tannish like a Rio.

MarkB

[Whoknows]

I would guess Eastern. Again just a guess.

[Cheetah]

I don't think your bird is an Eastern. I'm going to say Merriam's or possibly a Hybrid of some sort, though I've never seen a true Hybrid up close. Your photo is at night too, so some of the white color on the tips may not be showing up as bright as it would in the sun.

Here are two Wisconsin Eastern birds. Dark cream tips on the tail and all bronze at the base of the tail.

This is my Black Hills 2010 Merriam's. See the white tips and all the white tips at the base.

This is my 2011 Black Hills Merriam's, same white tips everywhere.

[mrklean]

my guess is hybrid looks almost the same as my Kansas bird

[sticknstring]

Looks like a hybrid to me. Give the DNR a call and ask where the birds they transplanted in that area came from. Half the birds we shoot in NE look like that. Pretty rare to find one in central MN though!

[Beast26]

The color looks Rio like but like said it's probably a hybrid.

[FishinFools]

What did it taste like?

[Archerysniper]

What did it taste like?

Chicken

[Archerysniper]

I have looked through all my photos from my birds and all I have help kill in the east central area and that bird isn't our normal eastern. All the birds I have taken or helped with look like this or darker in the tips.

[FishinFools]

Here is my best pic of Eastern tail-fan coloration...from last weekend...MN birds. Sun is behind the bird.

[engfish]

What a great picture. Where was it taken?

[Greybeard53]

It's an Eastern.

The color variation in this case is age specific vs. sub specie.

In general,while a mature eastern Tom has a darker chestnut colored band, it's pretty common for younger birds (like your cousins jake)to have that lighter cream colored band.

[FishinFools]

Dakota County, MN park. Wouldn't want to mess up someone's legit gun/bow hunt during season, so I only camera hunt in no-hunt areas.

[Hoyt4]

Eastern just a color phase.I've taken many birds like that in MN.