The title of the post says it all. Here's another 1st cycle Herring with white base color to the uppertail coverts and a thinner, more pronounced, tail band than a typical
smithsonianus.
Lake County, Illinois. 10 March 2017.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5KLBKw4tcLJg1Abr2Gxvfq5nTP-liRTL0A-Ieu9YApFvAVT2gfrEDbvHSWASyLsBg52boH-tNkBvG0HhvwXk15DDI-dJ1zuijxhzbHDuiHtDfy_g2-a1nHF7lmpy369qCrtVwBc5BVv9/s640/band+tailed+herg+1-1126.jpg) |
What would this bird be called in Japan? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gmup9xCb24tsNH2Pke4GYy248_6PjU2wrkLbgIOzsZmlU0S8YNFm-MXK1C24mo9lUuMSolAvH_IntAvsRWR7VkrJu0gk3ha1XS6khPemQIddfL2RDy6twURYiO8xNIAwB86-tZhsocy5/s640/band+tailed+herg+2-1063.jpg) |
With a vegae/argentatus tail band, the undertail coverts are sparsely patterned with thin markings. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaD0xSl5wJdHTyWfgJNEDpxpVRgX89xzRrmIoWD_RikmsAXg623KuUhA3yC9-hOjcc9Ppz3BWyyLPOysS2LbeBQ0-BLdBXaVBUduwAtXQTFWn3o9Jxk0y5q-FHp2KJJJJorMM9Aqf7P9R/s640/band+tailed+herg+4-1220.jpg) |
Not surprising, this isn't a chocolate-brown Smith. Like many vegae, it shows silvery 2nd generation scapulars with a faint pattern to the wing coverts. |
A different view of the uppertail (sorry for the chopped off wing)...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2Nq2CpMiftDQHkY3H4aivkU_z2YhDoh4eZiHPgcsb8dX_m483JU8Hg_KswjPnQQkQC7JsRAJ8UBfufMt2o0cSRCNQhfgLErKccS4zDWTwSxTXk20KKWYpMpD71-vsM-b6vldszoKqQXM/s640/vega+type+npm+10+march-1041.jpg) |
No known-origin American Herring has revealed such a 1st basic tail pattern, yet! |