Schedules finally opened up allowing a run up to Genessee for a Fork-tailed Flycatcher that's been present for a week in a grassy subdivision of the future. While this is the 4th country I've had one in, it was an ABA bird for me.
I'd never seen a non-breeding plumaged individual. This one is very weathered and quite faded. It's molting a couple inner primaries on each side. The longish tail, overall gray color, and wing flash created by the primary gap made me think 'mockingbird' when it first flew across the meadow a hundred yards or so distant.
Fork-tailed Flycatcher is present year-round in Central America, but also breeds in southern Brazil in our winter. I would assume this is one of the South American subspecies that overshot its wintering grounds by half a continent. Sometimes the subspecies can be identified based on the number and pattern of emarginated primaries; this one is probably too worn for that. I can't really make out any emargination left.
Now I just need to chase (or better yet, find) a Scissor-tailed for the state...
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