Can anybody help ID this bird? (4 Viewers)

[Strix]

Not that I've seen either, but I'd say it's too bright to be a female tanager or bunting. And the bill's to thick to be a warbler or an oriole or anything else I can think of. It doesn't seem to be something native, at least nothing I've heard of.

 

[Michael Frankis]

I'd say some sort of cagebird escape, too, not sure what though, the breeders come up with all sorts of colour variants. Arabian Golden Sparrow fits roughly on overall colour, but doesn't fit on bill shape or body structure, so it isn't that. Maybe a hybrid involving one or more of the African canaries.

Michael

 

[Larry Lade]

I believe this bird is an escaped cage bird, probably in the canary family.

 

[simon colenutt]

I think that whoever mentioned Saffron Finch earlier in the thread was about right. I am relatively inexperienced with the NAmerican avifauna but would say it fits nothing 'on the list'. I have seen good numbers of Saffron Finch and see little reason at present to suggest its not one. However, there are a number of African species that are similar although none seem to fit as well as SF as a browse through Birds of Africa South of the Sahara will reveal.
Cheers,
Simon

 

[gthang]

the painted bunting's bill shape is relatively finch-like, and the bigger picture Ataman provded shows us a finch-like bill. so any tanagers, orioles, or other species not in the finch family are wrong.

Since i cannot find any painted bunting pictures online, but have a drawing in my sibley book, it's hard to tell what it could be. Try searching saffron finch in the bird database on this site. I already tried painted bunting on the database, but there's no picture. If this bird of yours really is a painted bunting, which i'm 50% sure of, then this image should be added to the database.

 

[Ataman]

I did a Google search on the Saffron Finch and found a few pictures that match the bird in question.
Being quite comfortable in the presence of humans, this bird may be an escapee.
So I'm back where I started with no clear ID for the bird.
I appreciate all your help.

 

[gthang]

what do you mean, your back where you started?

You need to ask your wife what the chirp sounded like. read my second to last post on the previous page for song details.

 

[Tero]

Go to your local pet store, like Pet Smart or other and see what they sell there!

 

[simon colenutt]

Its certainly not a painted bunting.....