eastern Ontario (1 Viewer)

P

playinwood

Member

• May 24, 2016

• #1

Sorry for no pictures my camera is on the fritz and he's a ittle shy but Ill try describing as I'm curious.

On our small farm I saw a scarlet tanager an oriole, bobolinks . kingbirds, tree swallows,blue jays ravens and a thrush today.

I also have a bird outside our window for the life I have no idea what it is but has been around for a few years.
"He" is quite loud with many different voices and sings in the evening and early morning , a larger bird with a long (split?) tail. I also believe a light (white) chest and darker body.He never really shows himself.

I'm thinking mockingbird but Ive never seen one before and I'm seeking more experienced birders for a clue.

Many thanks Jeff

 

nartreb

Speak softly and carry a long lens

• May 24, 2016

• #2

"Many different voices", very loud, keeps it up continuously - all sounds like a mockingbird or catbird.

Both are greyish overall, and about the size of a robin with a longer tail. (Mockingbirds are slightly bigger than catbirds.) Mockingbirds have more contrast between pale belly and dark-grey wings, show flashes of white on wings and outer tail in flight, and have a bit of a facial stripe right through the eye.

Catbirds are a more uniform naval grey, with a thin dark cap and a brick-red "vent" area (behind the legs). They'll sometimes use a cry that sounds like a complaining cat, or a tetchy baby, but they often just imitate the birds and other noises around them (orioles, sparrows, cell phones) in a rapid, uninterrupted gush.

So, mockingbird is almost surely right. They do live over a decade, so it may well be the same bird in your yard all this time.

 

Last edited: May 24, 2016

KC Foggin

Very, very long time member

Supporter

• May 24, 2016

• #3

Definitely sounds like a Mockingbird.

Hi Jeff and a warm welcome to you from the entire staff here at BirdForum

 

P

playinwood

Member

• May 25, 2016

• #4

and many thanks for having me...and great information

are both common to south/eastern Ontario ?

I'm armed with cellphone camera hoping for a pic during sunset which seems one of his favourites

 

KC Foggin

Very, very long time member

Supporter

• May 25, 2016

• #5

They are known for breeding in Southeastern Canada. Here's a link from Wikipedia that might fill you in a bit more

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_mockingbird

 

P

playinwood

Member

• May 25, 2016

• #6

was just chasing it around it wont let me get to close, the leaves on the trees are getting filled but with bino's it does have a pale chest and I was going to mention the beak looked long and pointy just like a mockingbird.
After flushing it from a tree and flying away from me, it looked to me like brown thrasher colour shoulder/back and tail. That sort of orangey.
I do have 2 video of its song but the file is to large to post and were pushing my abilities to downsize


why would a grown person chase a bird around to get a picture?

 

KC Foggin

Very, very long time member

Supporter

• May 25, 2016

• #7

why would a grown person chase a bird around to get a picture?

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Actually, just staying still will give you more opportunity to catch the photo

 

P

playinwood

Member

• May 30, 2016

• #8

this is as close as I can get with I phone.

You can see the general shape, long skinny beak and orangy brown colour

 

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Peter C.

...just zis guy, you know?

• May 30, 2016

• #9

Yep, it's a Brown Thrasher.

This is (with the Grey Catbird) our most common mimic, much more common here than the Mockingbird. If you listen to it sing for a while, you'll notice that the song consists of paired phrases - unlike the Catbird's continuous, rambling, chatter and the Mocker's triples.

 

P

playinwood

Member

• May 30, 2016

• #10

thankyou Peter..

I didn't know a brown thrasher was a mimicer? Ive never heard a brown thrasher even sing so I cant confirm.
One other tidbit , I flushed 5 brown thrashers yesterday with our ATV and they are very brown where this is like a robin breast colour and the brown thrashers were another 30 percent larger. Could this be a female with duller plumage?
I do have a video of its song and if someone would supply an e address with the knowledge of compressing it and posting it I would send it.

 

P

playinwood

Member

• May 30, 2016

• #11

http://https://youtu.be/c10I62nX3T0


it is a brown thrasher.



many thanks to all

 

Peter C.

...just zis guy, you know?

• May 31, 2016

• #12

playinwood said:

thankyou Peter..

Could this be a female with duller plumage?

Click to expand...

No, the males and females are identical, and there are no obvious age differences at this time of year, either. I suspect the difference in the perception of colour is a result of the different circumstances when you were looking at the birds (E.g. up against a bright sky vs. low against a darker background.)

P.C.