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<\/p>\nMany are surprised to learn\u00a0that the Western Kingbird (both sexes)\u00a0has a reddish-orange crown patch that bisects the top center of its head.\u00a0 The patch is usually kept concealed but occasionally\u00a0they will quickly\u00a0flash the patch at unpredictable moments, especially when other birds invade their territory.\u00a0 I’ve featured the crown patch on my blog\u00a0previously but earlier this summer I had my best look at it so I thought I’d revisit the subject this morning.<\/p>\n
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\u00a01\/2500, f\/8, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM, canvas added for composition,\u00a0not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Usually when the patch is flashed it happens so quickly that most folks don’t notice it but photographs can capture the moment in time.\u00a0 This bird was taking off from the vicinity of its nest on Antelope Island\u00a0and I didn’t even know that the patch was visible until I processed the image.\u00a0 When the head is at an angle\u00a0good for photography (like this, with the eye\u00a0clearly visible) the\u00a0view of the patch is usually at an angle\u00a0that doesn’t show it\u00a0particularly well.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a01\/4000, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n But if the bird tips its head down at just the right moment it’s possible that\u00a0the patch may be more clearly seen.\u00a0 This kingbird did just that as it looked down at its mate on the nest.\u00a0 Usually when I’ve seen this behavior it’s a reaction to another bird (often another kingbird) flying in\u00a0close but this time my concentration was through my viewfinder and I didn’t see another bird.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A very large crop of the same image reveals more detail.\u00a0 The\u00a0red color\u00a0is deeply buried in the crown feathers and cannot be seen (not even a hint of it)\u00a0unless those feathers are parted.<\/p>\n In the\u00a0past eight years I’ve probably photographed the patch about a half-dozen times but every time I see\u00a0one revealed\u00a0it still grabs my attention.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Many are surprised to learn that the Western Kingbird has a reddish-orange crown patch that bisects the top center of its head. The patch is usually kept concealed but occasionally they will quickly flash the patch at unpredictable moments, especially when other birds invade their territory. I’ve featured the crown patch on my blog previously but earlier this summer I had my best look at it so I thought I’d revisit the subject this morning.<\/p>\n\n
![\"western](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/western-kingbird-8253-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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