5 Oct 2024

Hola!

I am a recent transplant to iNaturalist from eBird, which I now abhor. I was interested in birds by age 8 and my fascination with them has increased with time. Moving to Florida from my native Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1978 sealed the deal, since the diversity of birds in Florida is astonishing. I purchased my first camera in 1981 and have gone through 16 setups since then. Currently, I'm using a Panasonic Lumix FZ80, which is lightweight, has exceptional zoom capabilities (60x!), and captures 4K video. I consider my Lumix to be as indispensable as my binocular and spotting scope.

I have seen the most non-captive birds in Florida (544 species) and have photographed the most (522 species); I'm always hoping to photograph some of those as-yet-not-photographed species (King Rail is my most embarrassing miss), as well as adding "new" birds to my life list.

Previously, I worked as an Avian Research Assistant on several bird studies in Florida: Hairy Woodpeckers and Florida Scrub-Jays for Archbold Biological Station; "Florida" Grasshopper Sparrows and Painted Buntings for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; a grassland bird study for the University of Florida; and pesticide studies on birds inhabiting citrus groves on Merritt Island and golf courses in Tallahassee for the Mobay Corporation. I have helped with Red-cockaded Woodpecker studies, and sparrow banding projects in upland grasslands in Weekiwachee Preserve, and in salt marshes at Shell Key Preserve. I coordinated two multi-year statewide bird projects for an environmental organization that will not be named here because the planned books were never published. I have participated in Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) annually since 1976, for totals of 238 CBCs as a participant, 104 as a complier or co-compiler, and 1,550+ as the statewide editor.

In the past 3 years, I have become enamored with numerous non-bird taxa, primarily moths (210 RGed species), butterflies (127 species, including 52 skippers, which I have learned to appreciate), wasps (53 species), grasshoppers (33 species), robber flies (20 species), and tiger beetles (8 species). I am extremely grateful to those who have identified my non-avian species. I specifically call out my most-frequent identifiers: Mikie Green (@coolcrittersyt) and Brandon Woo (@brandonwoo) for bugs, Ed Perry (@seaheart88) for skippers, Paul Dennehy (@paul_dennehy) and @d_kluza for moths, @stevecollins for Robber Flies, @catherine_g for flies, @borisb for Blister Beetles @kevinwilliams for Velvet Ants, and Jay Horn (@jayhorn) and Tom (@tadenham) for plants.

My "Verifiable Birds of Florida" Facebook photo album featuring the 522 non-captive birds that I have photographed in the state is here:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=bill.pranty&set=a.1898162333552992

I have reviewed more than 84,000 Florida birds on iNat. I'm hoping that I am 99.5% accurate in my IDs. Other than an occasional dumb-ass mistake, I sometimes overreach on my IDs, especially if the image is pretty bad, or if I overshoot my skills with distant scaup, yellowlegs, large white-headed gulls, or Sterna terns. @brennafarrell taught me about the "maverick list," which tallies each record you were out-voted at least 3:1.

To those of you who are following me -- Thank you! It is very humbling.

I am so enamored with iNat and its peer-reviewed Research Grading (RG) system that I do not consider non-RGed species to be of any value. My first iNat goal was to attain 1,000 RG species. I reached this target on 19 Jul 2022; a False Turkey-Tail (a shelf fungus) in Withlacoochee State Forest, Hernando County reviewed by @andrey_loria. My second goal was to reach 5,000 records, which I reached when @tadenham confirmed my identification of a Virginia Creeper at Forest Capital Museum State Park in Taylor County on 24 Nov 2022. My third goal, of reaching 2,000 RG species, was attained sometime in late Dec 2023 (I was iNatting so feverishly that I don't know which record put me over the top). My latest goal was to achieve 20,000 RG records, which I attained on 17 Sep 2024 with a Pipevine Swallowtail.

I don't know precisely how many lifers I have seen that have been RGed (bizarrely, iNat considers a taxon above the species level to count as a species; I do not consider such records as "species"). My count is 2,321 species, but I probably have had a couple dozen species RGed without my knowledge. I suppose my next goal will be to attain 2,500 RGed species.

Coming from an avian background, where 98% of the world's 11,000+ bird species can be identified from a single, in-focus head-shot, I am frustrated that other taxa, such as mushrooms, cactuses, spiders, moths, fiddler and mud crabs, and skinks, often get zero identifications, even months after uploading: (I have learned to "tag" experts, and I have gotten some good results as a result). Currently my non-RGed total is 3,564 records of 1,035 species :(

As for Florida birds on iNat, two taxa in particular cause perpetual ID issues. I'll discuss each here and offer what I hope is helpful advice.

1) MUDDLED DUCKS. Mottled Ducks once were a widespread permanent, breeding resident over all but the northern parts of the Florida peninsula. "Wild" Mallards are uncommon to rare winter residents in parts of the Panhandle and extreme northern peninsula, with rare records farther south. Domestic/feral Mallards are common to abundant permanent, breeding residents wherever there are people. Mottled Ducks and Mallards have been interbreeding for decades to the point where Mottled Ducks have been extirpated from some parts of their Florida range, and where the long-term survival of the species in the state is doubtful. Hybrids and back-crosses run the gamut from looking 99% Mottled Duck-like to looking 99% Mallard-like, but most individuals can be identified as such by looking at a suite of field marks.

Because misidentifications of Mottled Ducks on iNat are frequent, I will post the link to an article that Tony Leukering and I wrote for eBird discussing "Muddled Ducks" in Florida -- and please regard the ID pointers found in this article as works in progress subject to refinement/correction:

https://ebird.org/news/201502mudu/

2) CROWS. Gawd! First off, anybody who oversimplifies crow ID by claiming that "caw" is American Crow and "uh-uh" is Fish Crow should be banned for life from ever again commenting on crow identification! American Crow and Fish Crow vocalizations are MUCH MORE COMPLEX than this! Juvenile Fish Crows give a hoarse "car-car-car" or "car-car-car-car-car" call that even most birders misidentify as an American Crow, young American Crows often utter a nasally "cah" that is often mistaken for a Fish Crow, and some American Crow calls are almost unworldly:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S47873751
https://ebird.org/checklist/S94088115

Also, PLEASE STOP claiming that silent crows in Florida cannot be identified to species! In many cases, habitat and behavior -- mainly flight dynamics -- can go a long way to identify silent crows throughout the state. The distinctive "rowing" flight behavior of American Crows is well-known and easily observed. Also, in some areas of Florida, RANGE ALONE CAN BE DEFINITIVE for crow identification. The crows along the main park road through Everglades National Park (State Road 9336) are American Crows. There are no Fish Crows here. The crows along Tamiami Trail through Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Everglades National Park are also safely assignable to American Crow. Ditto the crows along the main road through Myakka River State Park.

Conversely, some mega-urbanized cities completely lack American Crows. Two examples: Pinellas County away from Brooker Creek Preserve and Miami-Dade County east of where -- Interstate 95? Florida's Turnpike? -- contain nothing but Fish Crows. ESPECIALLY if you see overhead flocks of dozens to hundreds of individuals flying to roost; American Crows do not flock in Florida the way they do "up north."

I have published many hundreds of notes and articles, mostly in "Florida Field Naturalist" (the journal of the Florida Ornithological Society), and in "Birding" and "North American Birds" (the magazine and journal, respectively, of the American Birding Association), primarily since the mid-1980s. Documenting rare birds with photographs or recordings and then publishing details about them in ornithological journals is what motivates me.

iNaturalist has recently limited profile biographies to 10,000 characters (my bio up to July 2024 exceeded 30,000 characters!), so I can no longer list my publications other than my books.

Pranty, Bill. 2024. American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of Florida, second edition. Scott and Nix. New York, New York. xli + 340 pages.

Greenlaw, Jon S., Bill Pranty, and Reed Bowman. 2014. The Robertson and Woolfenden Florida Bird Species: An Annotated List. Special Publication No. 8. Florida Ornithological Society. Gainesville, Florida. viii + 435 pages.

Pranty, Bill. 2014. American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of Florida. Scott and Nix. New York, New York. xliv + 340 pages.

Pranty, Bill, Jon L. Dunn, Steven C. Heinl, Andrew W. Kratter, Paul E. Lehman, Mark W. Lockwood, Bruce Mactavish, and Kevin J. Zimmer. 2008. ABA Checklist: Birds of the Continental United States and Canada, seventh edition. American Birding Association. Colorado Springs, Colorado. v + 203 pages.

Pranty, Bill, and Kurt Radamaker. 2006. Birds of Florida. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton, Canada. 384 pages.

Pranty, Bill. 2005. A Birder’s Guide to Florida, 5th edition. American Birding Association. Colorado Springs, Colorado. xiii + 418 pages.

Pranty, Bill. 1996. A Birder’s Guide to Florida, 4th edition. American Birding Association. Colorado Springs, Colorado. xii + 388 pages.

Taxones favoritos

Ver todas