1	Field Identification of Boreal Owl Aegolius Funereus An Individual with Bill Variation Ontario, Canada 2005 Connie Goldman
2	Hallmarks of Boreal Owl I.D. (Sibley) “Angry” expression Larger the Saw-whet Evenly spotted above Underparts spotted and streaked White facial disk; frame of disk “broken” Large fluffy head, small eyes PALE BILL
3	our Amherst Island Boreal photo by Karl Lukens, Jan. 2005
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5	A sampling of what the experts had to say…… Johnsgard - (thanks, Adrian!) “bill a waxy yellow to horn color, the culmen and tip dull yellow” Konig, Weick & Becking - (thanks, Bill & Naomi!) “the bill is pale horn to bluish” Nat’l Geo - “bill is pale”; Peterson – “bill pale horn or yellowish” Cornell – “bill yellow” Study Skins at the Academy of Natural Sciences – all with a broader area of pallor along the culmen, yet all with dark areas on lateral surfaces of the bill
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8	Moral of the story (as learned from Martin in New Mexico!) Don’t rely on one field mark alone to identify birds!
9	References Johnsgard, Paul A. North American Owls: Biology and Natural History, 1997, Smithsonian Institution. Konig, C. Weick, F. & Becking, J. Owls: A Guide to Owls of the World, 1999, Pica Press Field Guides – Sibley, Peterson, National Geographic www.owlpages.com/species/aegolius/funereus/Default.htm www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Boreal_Owl_dtl.htm www.schmoker.org/BirdPics/Photos/Owls/BOOW6.jpg www.owling.com/Boreal_nh.htm