Carolina or Black-Capped? Or Hybrid? According to the internet, the easiest way to differentiate is where you live, but we're right on the line. One of my aps says Carolina, the other says one or the other. In digging around the internet, I couldn't find any photos of either with the distinctive stripes this one has across the shoulders. Any bird experts out there?
I like a challenge, when I have the time. Obviously not familiar with either of these but have had look in a couple of my American bird books and a quick flick around online. They are difficult species to separate where they overlap purely by sight, apparently their call is more useful, which doesn't help here.
Your hybrid idea is also one worth going with, however, it would appear that a lot of the hybrids, take the characteristics of one of the parents rather than a mixture of both. It is through DNA studies that has shown some birds which look dead ringers for one species are in fact hybrids.
However those very unusual stripes, which I can't find anywhere either, might tend to point towards a hybrid ?
One of the images I found of a Carolina, did have a pale under tail rather than the darker flash on this one, however it is not mentioned as a distinguishing feature anywhere, and I can't find a similar view of a Black-Capped.
Your hybrid idea is also one worth going with, however, it would appear that a lot of the hybrids, take the characteristics of one of the parents rather than a mixture of both. It is through DNA studies that has shown some birds which look dead ringers for one species are in fact hybrids.
However those very unusual stripes, which I can't find anywhere either, might tend to point towards a hybrid ?
One of the images I found of a Carolina, did have a pale under tail rather than the darker flash on this one, however it is not mentioned as a distinguishing feature anywhere, and I can't find a similar view of a Black-Capped.