Diabolical Avian ID Quiz: From A to Z in Queens

By Corey • March 15, 2011 • 40 comments

It has been quite some time since the last of the 10,000 Birds diabolical quizzes. With Jory serving as our able Avian Quizmaster there seems to be less pressure to exercise the thinking parts of our readers’ brains so Mike and I end up serving mostly pablum instead of the difficult to swallow, absurdly impossible, diabolical quizzes. This one is a doozy and your clue is that all of the shots were taken this year in Queens, NY, so a knowledge of what birds can be seen in my fine borough will be of great assistance to you if you have that knowledge.

Remember to identify each bird by its full common name in the comment section below. If you think one of the birds is a Song Sparrow call it “Song Sparrow” and not the unspecific “sparrow.” No, none of the images below feature a Song Sparrow.* The person who gets the most birds correct first will win a free lifetime subscription to 10,000 Birds and the eternal admiration of the other folks foolish enough to guess less ably than you. As always, you are reminded that if you take the time to look at this post YOU MUST SHARE YOUR BEST GUESSES or you will suffer from broken optics, missed life birds, and the clap.

Without further ado here are the three images.

Diabolical A to Z Quiz in Queens Quiz Pic 1

Diabolical A to Z Quiz in Queens Quiz Pic 2

Diabolical A to Z Quiz in Queens Quiz Pic 3

Answers will be posted when I am good and ready to post them. Good luck! You’re going to need it…

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*After that bonus clue this quiz should be a piece of cake.

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Tags: diabolical, ID Quiz, quiz

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About the Author

Corey

Corey is a New Yorker who has lived most of his life upstate but has spent the last three years in Queens. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy, their son, Desmond Shearwater, and their two indoor cats, Hunter and B.B.

40 Responses to “Diabolical Avian ID Quiz: From A to Z in Queens”

Nick Mar 15th, 2011 at 6:26 pm
My guesses are: (1) Mallard, (2) Monk Parakeet, and (3) Bald Eagle
Will Mar 15th, 2011 at 9:34 pm
I’m going with Wood Duck, Monk Parakeet and Red-tailed Hawk.
Jason Mar 15th, 2011 at 10:41 pm
Hooded Merganser, Monk Parakeet, and House Sparrow. Feel more confident in saying we’ve all gotten 1/3 right.
Greg Lawrence Mar 15th, 2011 at 10:58 pm
1.) Hooded Merganser 2.) Monk Parakeet 3.) Canada Goose
Isaac Grant Mar 15th, 2011 at 11:24 pm
Gun to my head on the first bird and I say shoot me. No clue. Not even sure what I am looking at. And no time to look at a book and try and figure it out.
Second bird is a Mitred Parakeet.
Third bird is a guess but I would say Short-billed Dowitcher.
Jochen Mar 16th, 2011 at 5:18 am
Barrow’s Goldeneye, Puerto Rican Amazon, immature Snail Kite.
Yes, you are right: I have never been to Queens. How do you know?
Corey Mar 16th, 2011 at 6:58 am
Two birds have been identified correctly so far and no one has gotten more then one right.
DIABOLICAL!!!!
Isaac grant Mar 16th, 2011 at 8:59 am
I’ll change bird one to mallard. Got another chance to look at it.
Jean L Mar 16th, 2011 at 9:52 am
Ugh… you truly are diabolical Corey! But since you outed me, I will give it a shot.
1 I agree with Jochen Barrow’s Goldeneye
2 I hope the majority opinion of Monk Parakeet is correct
3 I am going with Mourning Dove… don’t ask why, because I don’t have a clue.
Jochen Mar 16th, 2011 at 11:12 am
Okay, serious now – kinda…
1 I’ll stick with Barrow’s Goldeneye – too cool to drop, reality left aside
2 Monk Parakeet
3 imm Red-tailed Hawk
Doug G Mar 16th, 2011 at 1:19 pm
1)Mallard
2)Mitred Parakeet
3)Turkey Vulture
John Mar 16th, 2011 at 5:31 pm
1. Red-breasted Merganser
2. Monk Parakeet
3. Red-tailed Hawk
Jean L Mar 16th, 2011 at 6:11 pm
@Jochen… don’t set aside reality, there was one recently at Jamaica Bay, and I am pretty sure Corey went to see it.
Dan Mar 16th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
I’m going to go with
1) Hooded Merganser AND Mute Swan
2) Monk Parakeet
3) Cackling Goose
Corey Mar 16th, 2011 at 9:05 pm
There are still only two birds for which the correct answer has been supplied.
I will say that the “Z” in the post title is a clue.
Marj Kibby Mar 16th, 2011 at 9:45 pm
1. Anatidae
2. Monk Parakeet
3. Zitting Cisticola
nita marie moccia Mar 16th, 2011 at 10:08 pm
Common merganser, Quaker parakeet, and morning dove….. i hope i don’t get the clap…………..
Will Mar 16th, 2011 at 11:39 pm
#2 is Mitred Parakeet, #3 is Canada Goose and #1 is a Snapping Turtle.
Mark Mar 16th, 2011 at 11:49 pm
1) Barrow’s Goldeneye
2) Monk parakeet
3) White-Throated Sparrow
Jean L Mar 16th, 2011 at 11:51 pm
ok, does that mean #3 is a White-throated Sparrow?
Monica P Mar 17th, 2011 at 1:34 am
1 Barrow’s Goldeneye
2 Monk Parakeet
3 Mourning Dove
Jochen Mar 17th, 2011 at 4:24 am
Okay, I think I got it
1 – Barrow’s
2 – Monk P.
3 – Zelda, the Turkey (no it isn’t, but it was too good an opportunity to miss after Corey’s hint)
Seth Mar 17th, 2011 at 6:30 am
OK #3 is Common Raven!
Corey Mar 17th, 2011 at 7:14 am
Another clue: No one has gotten more then one bird correct!
DIABOLICAL!!!!
Seth Mar 17th, 2011 at 9:26 am
1 – Hooded merg
2 – Mitred parakeet
3 – Cave swallow (photo NOT taken in Queens)
Seth Mar 17th, 2011 at 9:31 am
But that would be too diabolical. In addition, when you click on the blank icons next to the names above, you come up with a post about tree swallows, So I’ll make #3 tree swallow!
MonicaP Mar 17th, 2011 at 10:53 am
Having another go
1 Hooded merganser
2 Mitred Parakeet
3 Mourning Dove
Doug G Mar 17th, 2011 at 11:09 am
1) Wood Duck
2) Mitred Parakeet
3) Something big with a “Z” in the latin name.
Jochen Mar 17th, 2011 at 11:13 am
@Corey: and you haven’t gotten your spelling right in your last comment.
Kathleen Mar 17th, 2011 at 12:56 pm
1) Wood Duck
2) This looks like an Amazon (“a” and “z”!) parrot to me, but I sure as heck can’t get it to species level.
3)Bald Eagle
Seth Mar 17th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Has anyone picked this list?
1. mallard
2. Mitred parakeet
3. Mourning dove
But then where does the swallow come in???
Dan Mar 17th, 2011 at 7:28 pm
Here’s my 2nd stab at this:
1) Hooded Merganser
2) Thick-Billed Parrot (from Queens Zoo- could that be the elusive “Z”)
3) Red-Tailed Hawk
Doug G Mar 17th, 2011 at 7:37 pm
Wood Duck/Thick-billed Parrot/Bald Eagle
Brent Mar 17th, 2011 at 9:30 pm
Hooded Merg
Monk Parakeet
European Starling
Jason Mar 17th, 2011 at 10:32 pm
Almost a logic puzzle that can be solved by looking at the comments and not the pictures at this point. Monica have it?
Corey Mar 18th, 2011 at 6:48 am
Nobody has gotten more than two, and Monica didn’t get any on her second guess.
DIABOLICAL!!!
Answer post goes up tomorrow…
MonicaP Mar 18th, 2011 at 8:48 am
Last try
1 Barrow’s Goldeneye
2 Wild Conures
3 Canada Goose
MonicaP Mar 18th, 2011 at 9:04 am
With wild I mean mitred!
Dan Mar 18th, 2011 at 11:42 am
3rd & Final Try:
1)Mallard
2)Thick-Billed Parrot
3)Red-Tailed Hawk
Answer to the Diabolical Avian ID Quiz: From A to Z in Queens Mar 19th, 2011 at 4:01 pm
[...] ID Quiz: From A to Z in Queens By Corey • March 19, 2011 • No comments yetTweetShareThe Diabolical Avian ID Quiz: From A to Z in Queens was pretty darn diabolical even though I tried to include a clue by using “from A to Z” [...]