Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), Santa Cruz River at the Santa Cruz Flats, Pinal County

This Louisiana Waterthrush was found by Jay Taylor on 26 November 2015 and photographed by Jerome Smith on 06 December 2015

A very sparse transient and winter resident in southeastern Arizona. Although most Northern Waterthrushes have departed by late October, there is a record for the Santa Catalina Mountains from the late date of 4 December, so caution is warranted.

The throat of this bird is unmarked and clean white, and the supercilium of this bird broadens 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.

06 December 2015, photo by Jerome Smith

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