Yellow bird I.D. needed (1 Viewer)

Paisley_Tx

Well-known member

• May 3, 2004

• #1

I'm needing some help i.d.ing this yellow bird. It was found in some wooded trees at a park in Ft. Worth, Texas. When we saw it thru our binoculars it looked to be grey/olive on the top wings and some on the head. Yellow underneath, no distinct markings other than it it being olive & yellow - no special markings on the face. Could it be an Orange-crowned Warbler?

Here's some pics of it - very very cropped...

 

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Darrell Clegg

Well-known member

• May 3, 2004

• #2

Hi Paisley.

The fairly thick bill immediately rules out Orange-crowned Warbler, or indeed a warbler of any kind. It looks to me like a female Summer Tanager. It can be seperated from Scarlet Tanager by the paler back and wings. Pic 1 shows the 'open' friendly face which I always associate with this species.

Darrell

 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• May 3, 2004

• #3

Do you think the bill looks long enough for Summer Tanager, Darrell? I'd agree that it's some sort of Tanager by the way.

 

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Bluetail

Senior Moment

• May 3, 2004

• #4

Well, if the maps in Sibley are right, it would have to be a Summer Tanager, but like Andrew I'm not convinced that's what it is. Could it be a young Painted Bunting? The range is spot on.

 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• May 3, 2004

• #5

Sibley suggests Scarlet Tanager migrates through east Texas, so I think that's still possible, although Painted Bunting (immature or female) might be a good call. Probably hard to be really sure what it is from the pictures though.

 

Jane Turner

Well-known member

• May 3, 2004

• #6

My first reaction was Scarlet Tanager - and I got nasty flashbacks to my UK Tanager sp! It was the upright stance in the first couple of pictures that set me off!

 

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Darrell Clegg

Well-known member

• May 3, 2004

• #7

Summer Tanager passes through High Island in good numbers (at least when I was there!) and I seem to remember that Scarlet Tanager was separable by the shorter bill and black wings. You're right Andrew that the bill seems short, but Paisley mentions grey/olive wings which suggests Summer - now if only we could move that leaf!!!

Darrell

 

Jane Turner

Well-known member

• May 3, 2004

• #8

I've been doing some homework and I'm pretty sure this is a scarlet tanager... As luck would have it I've only seen one each of Summer, Scarlet, Western and Hepatic Tanager in the US, plus that frustrating one in the UK, but I found the stance and shape of them pretty disctinctive. While painted Bunting is a good match on colour, it doesn't look like a bunting to me. I hink the bill is big, but not a great bit konk like a summer T and in one pic cou can see the wings are quite dark on the mystery bird.

 

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dacol

Well-known member

• May 3, 2004

• #9

Jane Turner said:

I've been doing some homework and I'm pretty sure this is a scarlet tanager... As luck would have it I've only seen one each of Summer, Scarlet, Western and Hepatic Tanager in the US, plus that frustrating one in the UK, but I found the stance and shape of them pretty disctinctive. While painted Bunting is a good match on colour, it doesn't look like a bunting to me. I hink the bill is big, but not a great bit konk like a summer T and in one pic cou can see the wings are quite dark on the mystery bird.

Click to expand...

I also think it is a female Scarlet Tanager, the beak doesn't seem large enough for Summer T. Also, more often than not and specially in Spring, female Summer T. has some bits of red all over the body. Scarlet Tanager female tends to be more uniform below and above with wings very dark green to blackish in contrast with the olive green of the upper body.

Dalcio

 

Paisley_Tx

Well-known member

• May 3, 2004

• #10

thanks for all the replies. I'm now wondering, along with Bluetail, if it's a female Painted bunting. We do have those this time of year...

 

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Hal

Gashawk

• May 4, 2004

• #11

The bill, shape, and colour are wrong for female Painted Bunting. Shape and posture is perfect for a Tanager. To me the bill is to small for a Summer. The yellow breast is tinged with olive and the upperparts are a nice olive green. This, along with the darker wings lead me ID it as a female Scarlet Tanager.

Hal

 

Warbler

Warbler Watcher

• May 4, 2004

• #12

Hi Paisley, I'm thinking it's a Scarlet Tanager. In the last two pics the colors look more like a fem. Painted Bunting, but in those first two pictures the wings look too dark which would match the tanager. Also in the second photo the bill seems to be darker on top (or is that my imagination) which would again support tanager. Do you remember about how small/large it was? More the size of a chickadee or a cardinal (assuming of course you are familiar with those birds)? The Scarlet Tanager is 7" long while the Painted Bunting is 5.5" One more thing, if it would have been a bunting it would have appeared very slim, if it was a tanager it would have appeared more like an average sized bird (not too slim or too plump).

 

Paisley_Tx

Well-known member

• May 4, 2004

• #13

gosh, I'm not sure as to the size really - I cropped those pictures alot because the picture of the bird was so small from it being high up in the trees. Wish I paid enough attention - at least I'm learning more about what to pay attention to.

I appreciate ALL of your input. Scarlet Tanager it is.

Oh, and Jane - that picture montage (sp?) was really neat and helped verify the bird. thanks!!

 

Last edited: May 4, 2004