Date
1 - 8 of 8
Mystery Bird
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Kay Loughman
This afternoon I glanced out the window at one of the bird feeders,
then reached for binoculars. There were a dozen birds on the
feeder: lesser goldfinches, house finches, and chickadees. But on
the squirrel baffle below the feeder was a strange-looking bird I
couldn't identify with bare eyes or binoculars. So I grabbed the
camera and inched closer to the double-pane window - not wanting to
cause any of the birds to fly. I took about 20 pictures, none of
them good, before a scrub-jay sent everyone away. See three photos
here.
Looks like there's a grosbeak in this bird's heritage; but what
else?
Kay Loughman in the hills on the Berkeley-Oakland border
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Jackie Bobrosky
Evening Grosbeak?
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On Jul 29, 2020, at 9:40 PM, Kay Loughman <kayloughman@...> wrote:
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Why not a yellow male House Finch?
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On Jul 29, 2020, at 10:00 PM, Jackie Bobrosky <electricjmb@...> wrote:
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Madeline Brane
Immature Black Headed Grosbeak?
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On Jul 29, 2020, at 10:32 PM, Michaela F. <michaelafigari@...> wrote:
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janet ellis
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On Thursday, July 30, 2020, 8:18 AM, Madeline Brane <mbrane@...> wrote:
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Hallie Daly
I believe this to be a type of canary -- probably a released pet. I have been seeing quite a few recently around the East Bay and San Jose so I don't know if there are more than usual or what is going on. I counted over 7 canaries at Grant Ranch in Santa Clara County just the other day. They are super variable in coloration but the bill shape, the random color patterning, and the yellow indicate to me that it is a captive canary (most similar to the "Atlantic Canary" type).
Hallie Daly Alamo, California
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Ralph
Hallie is correct, this is a Domestic Canary.
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Kay Loughman
All,
Thank you for your suggestions about the identification of my "mystery" bird. If this had been an identification contest, the folks who suggested "canary" would have won. Beyond knowing the birds are very small and pale yellow, I am not familiar with canaries; and, at first, was incredulous at the suggestion. In the last few days, I've spent a lot of time on the web learning about canaries [not all are very small; there are many color patterns] , and looking for pictures of canaries that might be similar to the visitor at my feeder. The best match was a Spanish Timbrado (known primarily for its singing) which has many characteristics in common with "my" bird, including a pale, forked tail - unlike most other species I've considered. It's only 5" long - smaller than my estimate of the visitor to my feeder.  Have contacted a couple of breeders and
a pet store to verify the identification. No responses so far.
Kay Loughman dalyhallie@... wrote on 7/30/2020
12:58 PM:
kayloughman@... wrote on July 29, 2020 9:38 PM:I believe this to be a type of canary -- probably a released pet. I have been seeing quite a few recently around the East Bay and San Jose so I don't know if there are more than usual or what is going on. I counted over 7 canaries at Grant Ranch in Santa Clara County just the other day. They are super variable in coloration but the bill shape, the random color patterning, and the yellow indicate to me that it is a captive canary (most similar to the "Atlantic Canary" type). Hallie Daly Alamo, California This afternoon I glanced out the window at one of the bird feeders, then reached for binoculars. There were a dozen birds on the feeder: lesser goldfinches, house finches, and chickadees. But on the squirrel baffle below the feeder was a strange-looking bird I couldn't identify with bare eyes or binoculars. So I grabbed the camera and inched closer to the double-pane window - not wanting to cause any of the birds to fly. I took about 20 pictures, none of them good, before a scrub-jay sent everyone away. See three photos here. Looks like there's a grosbeak in this bird's heritage; but what else? Kay Loughman in the hills on the Berkeley-Oakland border
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