Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), Oak Creek Canyon, Coconino County

This Louisiana Waterthrush was found and photographed by Bruce Mactavish on 18 March 2016

A very sparse transient and winter resident in southeastern Arizona, this is apparently the first documented record of this species for Coconino County.

The throat of this bird is unmarked and clean white, and the supercilium of this bird broadens behind the eye and is bright white, both good for a Louisiana. An excellent mark is the color of the flanks. In Northerns the underparts can range from yellow to off-white, but in any case the underparts are uniform. Louisianas often have a distinct pink or buffy wash along the flank contrasting with otherwise clean white underparts. The streaking on the underparts is also browner and sparser, and legs brighter pink. Also good to consider when confronted with a waterthrush in Arizona are habitat and timing. March is on time for a migrant Louisiana, whereas most Northern Waterthrushes pass through in May. Generally speaking, Louisiana Waterthrush prefers fast-moving streams such as Oak Creek as seen in these photos, whereas Northern is more of a generalist but is often found around ponds.

19 March 2016, photo by Bruce Mactavish