The all time most mystery bird (1 Viewer)

[Rasmus Boegh]

I thought Red-wings will chase anything. They've certainly tried it on with me!

True, they had a go on me aswell! With my previous remark I was trying to say: "If ones is there, then why not two..?"

 

[gthang]

Rasmus, what about Bobolink or Eastern Meadowlark?

 

[cuckooroller]

There comes a point guys, when it is just better not to waste any more time and find something that is identifiable - this is one of those that will always be controversial. I think that by now I have heard just about everything suggested except for the Labrador Duck and that is only because it is extinct!!!

 

[Rasmus Boegh]

Rasmus, what about Bobolink or Eastern Meadowlark?

Meadowlark (at least the species in the US) are way off, just from jizz. Bobolink is a good guess, but they would never have facial markings like your individual. So far I'm with Charles. Not at least because he seem quite confident (to say the least!) on it being a Song Sparrow. Only thing between me being (...almost... ) 100% certain on this ID is some pre-adult form of Fox Sparrow. This is basically because I don't have any experiance with juv's of this species in the eastern form. Jizz and markings don't appear to far off. But, as said, my experiance with pre-adult individuals of the eastern form is close to non-existant. I really wouldn't know! So, I'm looking for someone who can tell me: "No, it's not a juv./imm. of the eastern form of Fox Sparrow, because..."

The question is, will anyone?


***Perhaps it could be some juv. form of Labrador Duck...

 

[gthang]

I sincerely think it's a female Red-Wing Blackbird, as it was near water and cattails. Perched on cattails also.

 

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Rasmus,

Similarly, it is a rather long-tailed member of the genus

Since the end of the tail is hidden behind that leaf, we don't know how long its tail is.

OK on the other points, though, I was only clutching at straws!

Michael

 

[Taco]

I don't feel qualified to come into this little debate...but. I think that we are being thrown off by the quality of the picture. It seems rather blury, perhaps a litte to much digital zoom, and that really deforms the shape of the bird, I think thats where the thrush idea is coming from. I don't want to take a guess, but it would be late for Fox Sparrows and judging that this was taken near some song sparrows, a song would be my best guess. Despite that, it doesn't seem sparrow shaped (perhaps the picture messing with me again) so it could also be as Gthang suggested as a female red-winged.
Theres my 2 cents

 

[godwit]

Well, I've slept on it and I'm still not at all convinced that this isn't just a Purple Finch, especially when allowance is made for the image quality. The strange looking breast markings mentioned by several people look fine for Purple Finch when the picture quality is taken into account (see Sibley p528 adult female eastern). The shape looks fine to me for Purple Finch and and the dark rear parts below are probably just shadows.

There are loads of Purple Finch pictures on Google, all the females show a head pattern perfectly consistent with what is in the image provided by gthang, this is just one

http://www.schmoker.org/BirdPics/Photos/Finches/PUFI3.jpg

Of the reasonable alternatives I can't find a better match than Purple Finch

Dave

 

[gthang]

Again, I remain firm in my beliefs that my "all-time mystery bird" is either an adult male Bobolink in summer plumage, or an adult female Red-Winged Blackbird.

 

[Bluetail]

Again, I remain firm in my beliefs that my "all-time mystery bird" is either an adult male Bobolink in summer plumage, or an adult female Red-Winged Blackbird.

??? How on earth do you figure adult summer male Bobolink?
http://www.nps.gov/romo/resources/plantsandanimals/names/checklists/birds/Bobolink.html

 

[Jane Turner]

??? How on earth do you figure adult summer male Bobolink?
http://www.nps.gov/romo/resources/plantsandanimals/names/checklists/birds/Bobolink.html

Perhaps its just a Hoodwink

 

[gthang]

Just judging from sibley... by the way, I meant the non-breeding plumage of the male bobolink, which should come up about August (what I meant by "summer").

 

[cuckooroller]

Just judging from sibley... by the way, I meant the non-breeding plumage of the male bobolink, which should come up about August (what I meant by "summer").

Gthang,

One way to get around this mistake is to use the terms basic (i.e. winter) and alternate (i.e. breeding) plumage.

 

[Fulmar]

I think the striping is too coarse for a female Red-winged Blackbird, compare with this photo www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/data/525/3844A040205002P640.JPG

I can't add anything to the ID, but as Gthang says, the head is turned left which makes the bill totally different looking than when it was looking straight ahead. So it might have a longer, pointed, bill.

Peter

 

[cuckooroller]

This bird is Neofringillithrus gthangiensis.

 

[Rasmus Boegh]

This bird is Neofringillithrus gthangiensis.

I think your right! Though perhaps it should be written: NEOfringillithrus gthangiensis...!

 

[Warbler]

Sorry about jumping into the discussion so late. Before I even read all of your replays I was thinking Song Sparrow (see original thread).

I sincerely think it's a female Red-Wing Blackbird, as it was near water and cattails. Perched on cattails also.

Well, that statement shoots down several options (Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Northern Waterthrush, etc.) which weren't very good to begin with. The above quote from gthang, leaves only two main options: Song Sparrow and Red-winged Blackbird. Gthang, do you remember anything else about the bird or it's actions? After reading the above quote it seems you saw it in action, meaning you might have more clues about what it is? If you're really convinced it's a Red-wing what makes you think so? Looking at the photo you took (or other pics of Red-wings)? Or remembering what characterisics or call notes/songs you saw/heard in the field? Or how it interacted with other birds?

 

[gthang]

Besides the fact that I cannot hear as well as many of you (I wear a hearing aid), I still can hear most birds, but the area was noisy bird-wise. I'm going to try and see what other pictures I can get, especially one of a female Red-Wing on the same tree, hopefully the red-wing in tree will help solve this.

Of course, I can post the full-size image later, and hopefully keep it in the same size it came out of the camera (2048 x 1536).

 

[streatham]

I'd have to say that this bird is definitely a female red-wing blackbird. I was looking at this discussion the other day and was totally thrown by the bird initially. Anyway yesterday I was at central park and spotted a female redwing and as it sat up in a tree i had a flash that this was the bird - i squinted a little - and there it was - a badly focussed red-wing - I promise you.

 

[gthang]

Great! Now I have at least one person who believes it's a female Red-Wing!

I had high hopes it would've been a Bobolink... oh, well, there's always another day!