Hoary Redpoll?

[shorebird]

This is not as good as any of the last few posts but maybe good enough for ID purposes.

Appears to have a short beak and is quite light compared to Redpolls around it. Hoary Redpoll?

Nice photos everyone.(Thanks for the help in advance)

[Steve Foss]

It's got the right field marks, shorebird, for a male hoary. Very faint pink on breast, fine side streaks with little contrast, very pale overall, significantly more white on the wing secondaries than common redpoll usually shows. Can't really get a good look at the bill, and the undertail coverts aren't visible (hoaries have less streaking there than commons), but it looks more like a male hoary than a male common to me.

[JayinMN]

Awe the ole hoary debate. Even the best of the birders can rarely decide if its a hoary or not.

The bird on the left side of this feeder was a "confirmed" hoary.

This bird, which looks similar to yours was a common redpoll...

[Jim Almquist]

I thought I had a Hoary at our feeder and thank goodness I took a picture cause it was a plain Redpoll. I would think that it would be very hard to distinguish between the 2 without a hard copy to look at or at least having them side by side.

[Steve Foss]

Yeah, it's a toughie, all right. Two of the key diagnostics (bill in profile and undertail coverts) aren't visible in the image in question.

[Borealhunter]

The first photo is a classic male Hoary Redpoll and its possibly a Hornemann race of the Hoary Redpoll. This race is very hard to find among Common Redpolls and its what most birders think of when they try to picture what a Hoary Redpoll looks like.

Jay's photo is a Hoary Redpoll as well and the typical male Hoary Redpoll we see in northern Minnesota. The females get a little more tougher but comparing them to other redpolls is really not that hard.

I love the photo of your Hoary Redpoll!!

Mike

[JayinMN]

Both of my pictures were taken last year but the first was at the blue spruce rd station. The second was on Admiral Rd.

Thanks for the info Mike. They sure are some pretty birds.

[Steve Foss]

Mike, it sure is nice to have a pro in here. Thanks for contributing.