Maybe Orchard Oriole out of season - Michigan USA - Audio file (1 Viewer)

[Dr. K]

I just saw what looked like an oriole but it was in poor lighting and distant through my budget pocket binoculars. What I got was a warm tone thorax, black face and head with black and light/white wing bar, oriole size and shape (more slender than an American Robin). It was foraging high in the canopy of a residential area where I've seen Baltimore Orioles before, but I've not seen an Orchard Oriole. This is currently well outside the season when either Oriole would normally be present here.

I have a few recordings, one is attached here, Merlin failed to recognize the sound but I did see the bird calling when I was recording it. Other birds you will hear are house sparrows, American robin, Black capped chickadee, and an American goldfinch.

File attached. Thanks in advance.

 

[Dr. K]

Evening Grosbeak! I think.

 

[birdmeister]

Evening Grosbeak is correct, with that explosive "breer!" call ("House Sparrow on steroids"). I'm surprised you describe it as slimmer than a Robin, given that Evening Grosbeak is typically one of our chunkiest finches. The color description is correct, though.