North Carolina, USA - longshot (L. Waterthrush?) (1 Viewer)

[Fandango739]

Seen in Weaverville, North Carolina, up hill from a pond, hidden in thick bush.
Yes, I'm sure it is a bird, but any help with what kind would be appreciated!
Many thanks!

 

[Butty]

A sparrow. Song sparrow, at a guess.

 

[KC Foggin]

I'm going with a Sparrow as well. Possibly a Song Sparrow with that dark spot showing on its chest but not certain.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Not Ovenbird?

 

[Butty]

Difficult to tell what's what, but seems to have pale supercilium, in which case, no.

 

[Andy Adcock]

This bird seems to be boldly spotted rather than streaked, on white underparts so I'm struggling to relate that to any of the Sparrows, Wood Thrush?

 

[Butty]

Can't see that: crown colour, longish wide supercilium.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Can't see that: crown colour, longish wide supercilium.

Struggling to see a Sparrow with all those bold spots?

 

[qwerty5]

It has spots rather than streaks, so I'm thinking it's not a sparrow. Also Song Sparrow (and several others) would have moustachial stripes. My best guess is Brown Thrasher, even though that doesn't match up perfectly. You can see a wing bar in the second photo, which would be good for thrasher

 

[Andy Adcock]

It has spots rather than streaks, so I'm thinking it's not a sparrow. Also Song Sparrow (and several others) would have moustachial stripes. My best guess is Brown Thrasher, even though that doesn't match up perfectly. You can see a wing bar in the second photo, which would be good for thrasher

This crossed my mind too.

 

[jmepler]

Brown Thrasher would be streaked as well. Wood Thrush would be my guess.

 

[kuzeycem]

My gut reaction was also Brown Thrasher.
Seems to have a white wingbar which Wood Thrush wouldn't have (but Brown Thrasher would).

 

[qwerty5]

The arrangement of the spots on Brown Thrasher varies, some are very obviously streaked, others not as much. This can be seen in the pics from Macaulay: Media Search - eBird and Macaulay Library

The spots on the OP's bird don't seem to quite fit in as a Brown Thrasher, but it's the closest option imo.

 

[rkj]

Spots (not streaks) on the breast and a bold white supercillium can only be one North American bird: Cactus Wren.
I am kidding of course; I am not at all sure what I am seeing, but I am sure it is not a Cactus Wren.

 

[Fandango739]

I thank everyone for having giving it thought! It seems that this sparrowthasherthrush may have to be filed under "uncertain ID." Thanks again for all of the input!

 

[Stonefaction]

Occelated Thrasher? (Arrived at through looking at pics of birds from Mexico and Central America...as if it isn't an obvious US bird then that part of the world is probably the next most obvious), though surely if it was a Thrasher the bill would be very obvious from these views?

What sort of size was the bird (relative to 'known' birds)? That might help narrow things down a bit, though I suspect it will, as OP says, go unidentified.

 

[Fandango739]

That is part of the trick. I only had a second or two before he flew and the bird was at a fair distance from me. I wouldn't think that the bird was more than a towhee in size, but memory plays tricks with me. As much as I would be thrilled with a bird called an Occelated Thrasher, I'm afraid that it would be very out of range, coming from Mexico to North Carolina.

 

[Steve Schoech]

This bird seems to be boldly spotted rather than streaked, on white underparts so I'm struggling to relate that to any of the Sparrows, Wood Thrush?

Wood thrush is my take too.

 

[nartreb]

I've been looking at these photos for days on a smaller screen. Now that I have a better view, I will say that while the photos leave plenty of room for doubt, wood thrush looks like the best candidate. Thrasher seems less likely. Besides the spots-not-streaks issue, we should be able to see the eye color. Also, the jizz (posture, flightiness, choice of perch), while certainly not abnormal for thrasher, fits wood thrush a little better IMO. The "wing bar" could be one out-of-place belly feather standing in front of the wing, with a spot on it.