Date: 9/15/26 8:25 am From: Jared Del Rosso <jared.delrosso...> Subject: [cobirds] Empid help - Arapahoe
Had a tough empid in my Centennial yard last night. Everything--bill,
primary extension, tail length, at least at variable angles of
photos--seems intermediate between a Hammond's and Dusky, but I have very
little experience with Hammond's. (One experience, to be precise.) A
Hammond's would rate as a "good" yard bird here in Centennial. A Dusky
would be, well, another Dusky, though any empid visit to a suburban yard is
exciting.
The freshness and brightness of the plumage seems a good sign of a
Hammond's, which molt before fall migration and are in, according to Kenn
Kaufman, "very fresh plumage during fall migration, with buffy wing bars,
fairly bright yellow on the belly and dark olive-gray on the chest" (but
note I have no chest photos). But the paleness of the throat and the
olive-green on the head seem a strike against it (to my inexperienced
eyes).
Duskies don't molt until arriving on wintering grounds. Kaufman describes
adults as "worn and drab" in fall; juveniles are "slightly more
colorful...but these colors are fading rapidly as the late summer turns to
fall."
The bill color seems closer to Hammond's to me -- mostly dark, but this
seems to depend on the angle and clarity of the photo and seems fairly
variable among birds anyway.
Photos below.
[image: Screenshot 2026-09-14 at 8.09.30 PM.png]
This photo gives me Hammond's vibes -- but are the primaries long enough?
Certainly, the tail doesn't seem long to me. (I saw a Dusky in my yard a
week or so ago, and the tail seemed much longer?) Bill looks small, no? Or
is that the angle?
[image: Screenshot 2026-09-15 at 9.03.03 AM.png]
Clear shot of the primary extension. Seem neither long nor short. Same goes
for the tail. A lot of olive-yellow, though.
I have a several more photos, but they're all mostly variants of these.
Any help and input appreciated!
- Jared Del Rosso
Centennial, CO
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