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Mystery Bird near Indianapolis, Indiana, USA (1 Viewer)

Larry Lade

Moderator
A friend of mine received this photo of a bird coming to a bird feeder in a yard about 30 miles east of Indianapolis, Indiana. The photo was taken on December 18, 2005. The bird visited the feeder on several consecutive days. It is not a bird with which I am familiar. I suppose it could be an accidental bird blow in “from who knows where“. It does not look like an escaped cage bird to me, but I suppose it could be. Most of the cage birds here in the states tend to be finch types. This bird does not look like a finch to me.

The bird feeder on which the bird is perched is 4 inches x 4 inches, so you can get an idea of the size of the bird. Attached is a copy of the original photo and a cropped portion of the bird in question on the feeder. The mystery bird and feeder on the shepherd’s hook is in the foreground and the Fox Squirrel on the other feeder is further back in the yard, so do not use that for a size comparison.

Attached is a copy of the original photo and a cropped portion of that photo showing the bird in question perched on the feeder.
Any assistance in identifying this bird would be greatly appreciated!

 

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Chris, I suppose anything is possible. I recall that on one of our Christmas Bird Counts here in Missouri we had a Baltimore Oriole sighted and documented with a photograph. It was an adult male (without tail feathers, oddly enough). This was four or five years ago.

This mystery bird gave me the impression of a bird smaller than the Baltimore Oriole though, and the plumage characteristics did not seem to match with what I expected for that species. Although, a first winter male might look something like this.

I suppose I had a "mind set" that this bird was something far more exotic!

Thanks for your suggestion.
 
I like Jacamar's theory, I don't see anything wrong for a worn adult male. When we combine the solid black hood, the orange breast, the extent of the black down the throat, the single wing-bar with a little pale behind it, the orange undertail coverts, and most intriguing of all, the bit of orange we can see on the tail feathers -- what else could it be but Baltimore Oriole? Size looks OK to my eye relative to a 4 X 4 inch feeder.

The winter thing, well, it is rare but it happens, seems like at least a few strange birds overwinter in most states most years. There was a Yellow-rumped Warbler that overwintered in Northern Minnesota this year, and that is stranger than an Oriole in Indiana!
 
I can't help but think a winter record like this is worthy of mention to your State or County bird records keeper. I have no idea how you obtain that information if you don't know it, but where I live in CA reports of extralimital sightings are worth passing on. Just a thought.
 
hard to say exactly...part of the patterning almost says to me..varied thrush..but its hard to tell with the lighting..I don't see anything that would shoot this down however it is a rather uncommon bird for the area
 
Baltimore Oriole. Rare indeed in winter, but i've heard numerous reports of these birds scattered across the eastern states in winter, including here at home in Ohio.
 
Thank you all for your comments. The gentleman who gave me the photo to research and I concur with the consensus that the bird in the photo is a Baltimore Oriole. He will inform the person who sent him the photo of our joint decision.

Good Birding to All
 
i was just looking through pics of Orioles, and it kind of looks like a male Orchard Oriole to me.
Heres the desription: Bluebird-sized. Adult male has chestnut body and black head, back, wings, and tail. Female yellow-green; immature male similar to female, but has black throat.
 
The towhee was what came to my brain first as well.

My first towhee preferred to be at the edge of my garden kicking up leaves, which I believe is its trademark behavior.
 
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