Hist North Amerkan recfNid of Whits- 
iaonii {Bmk«ibkm<hSemis) 
at South Padro Island, Texas 
MARTIN REID -11500 HUEBNER ROAD #1605, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78230 • (UPUPAiaAiRMAlLJET) 
MNIEL JONES - 502 WEST 1 1TH STREET, WESLACO, TEXAS 78956 - (ANTSHRIKE1@AOL.COM) 
Figire 1. This image of the White-crested Eiaenia at South Padre Island (all fjhotographs of this bird in this article were taken 10 Feb- 
ruary 2008) shows the wing panel and structure of the bill to good advantage. The short, mostly dark bill has a rather deep base with 
dully flesh tones, particularly on the mandible. The greater and median upperwing coverts have broad pale tips that form strong 
wingbars, and the pale edges of the secondaries also stand out as striking. These features are separated by dark, almost blackish 
bases of both secondaries and coverts; observers commented on the resemblance of this stark upperwing pattern to that of Ruby- 
crowned Kinglet. Photegmph by Erik Breden. 
Abstract 
This paper reviews the occurrence a White- 
crested Eiaenia (Eiaenia albiceps) at South 
Padre Island, Cameron County, Texas on 9-10 
February 2008, including an analysis of 
plumage and vocalizations that permit identi- 
hcation of the bird as subspecies chilensis. 
Field encounter 
On 9 February 2008 at about 1515 CST, Jones 
discovered an Eiaenia species at the Valley 
Land Fund’s Sheepshead native habitat lot on 
South Padre Island, Cameron County, Texas 
(26.098673° N, 97.167530° W), a half-acre 
site covered with heavy native South Texas 
brush including Mesquite (Prosopis glandu- 
losa), Huisache (Acacia farnesiana), Te- 
peguaje (Leucaena pulverulenta), Retama 
(Parkinsonia aculeata), and Texas Lantana 
(Lantana horrida). The bird seemed to appear 
in response to a whistled imitation of Ferrug- 
inous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) . 
During the remainder of the afternoon, the 
bird was photographed and studied by several 
observers on both the northern and southern 
portions of the Sheepshead lot. 
After photographs were posted on the In- 
ternet that evening, Reid tentatively identified 
the bird as a White-crested Eiaenia (Eiaenia 
albiceps) of the subspecies chilensis, based on 
his prior experience with this taxon in south- 
ern Chile. The following day, the bird was 
studied and photographed by many ob- 
servers, including Reid, who also obtained the 
first recordings of its vocalizations on his 
video camera. Subsequently, another record- 
ing was obtained by Lamont Brown. The bird 
was not seen after 10 February 2008, despite 
a concerted effort by many to relocate it. 
Descriptiin 
In a North American context, the eiaenia 
(Figures 1-8, 11) was proportioned like an 
Empidonax, slightly smaller than a nearby 
Eastern Phoebe (Sayomis phoebe), with a 
short, strongly notched tail, medium-length 
primary projection, and crested occiput. In 
profile, the shape of the crest was intermedi- 
ate between that of Northern Beardless- 
Tyrannulet (Camptostoma imberbe) and 
Hammond’s Flycatcher (Empidonax ham- 
mondii). Even when not raised, the crest was 
always visible; thus at no time did the head 
appear rounded. The short bill was unlike 
those of most North American flycatchers in 
that it was rather narrow and somewhat 
deeply based, tapering to a finer tip. The bill 
was mostly dark with dull fleshy on the basal 
half of the mandible. The legs and feet were 
blackish. Overall, the plumage was grayish 
olive above, with slightly more gray on nape 
and rump. Two prominent straight white 
wingbars were formed by broad, pale tips to 
the greater and median wing coverts; no pale 
tips were present on the lesser wing coverts. 
The tertials were cleanly edged off-white, this 
edging becoming thicker distally. A pale 
greenish-white panel on the folded secondar- 
ies, formed by their pale edges, was separated 
from the greater coverts’ wingbar by an al- 
most blackish band of even width — very sim- 
ilar to the panel on the wings of 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula), 
for instance. The underparts were off-white 
with a pale gray wash to the breast and flanks, 
10 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
