This morning, on the Santa Cruz mountains (close to skyline boulevard) I saw this bird. I apologize for the bad quality of the picture, it's all I could get before it flew away.
As you can see, the color pattern on the head recalls a Mountain Chickadee, but Mountain Chickadee it is not. Some hypotheses:
- Black-throated Sparrow. It would be a juvenile. The beak seems a bit long, but it's a decent match for the wing patterns.
- Hairy woodpecker. But I cannot identify the white patch on the back. The beak seems to be a good match, and so does the yellowish tuft on the beak.
But the wing pattern also does not seem to be a perfect match.
Do you have any suggestions?
Much appreciated!
As you can see, the color pattern on the head recalls a Mountain Chickadee, but Mountain Chickadee it is not. Some hypotheses:
- Black-throated Sparrow. It would be a juvenile. The beak seems a bit long, but it's a decent match for the wing patterns.
- Hairy woodpecker. But I cannot identify the white patch on the back. The beak seems to be a good match, and so does the yellowish tuft on the beak.
But the wing pattern also does not seem to be a perfect match.
Do you have any suggestions?
Much appreciated!
