Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Need bird ID help please?

Had 6 to 8 of these last winter. One here now so far. It seems they show at feeder when bad weather - cold, snow on ground.

Very similar to female Brown Cowbird in coloration. Has the body symetry of a Bunting. Very slightly smaller in height and length than f. Cowbird.

Coloration: In dim light or shadow, color appears very much like female cowbird, can not distinguish from the two unless close, then in dim light conformation only ID possible.

In bright sunlight - As bird turns can detect olive to olive/charcoal sheen head and neck, when turning dark brown/charcoal will reflect to blue to bluish/charcoal.
Also notice when sun hits wing at 90 degrees, lower leading edge of wing will reflect a black or very dark charcoal, as compared to the gray charcoal of upper wing. Also in bright sunlight, there appears to be lighter colored ring barely discernible around eyes.

Actions very much as a finch on the ground when active or feeding. Flight is very similar to finch, with longer pauses between dips.

Best I can do on description. Have two finch, bunting books, along with good book on warblers, and several general books. Can not find anything like them in there.

I might be able to get decent pic, when I have the time, and light to do it.

Thanks, folks!

Type of beak?

Shoot one and put it in the scanner.

Pugs - Appears much like the Golden Finches in conformation and physical aspects except for plumage color and size. Beak is a lighter black, appearing gray on sides in direct sunlight.

grouseman - Good idea, but I might be shooting one of your pets. I got a sneaky suspicion it is a Northern Wintering bird that we only get here when you guys have bad weather.

I know I've seen photos of this bird before, but darn if remember where.

Birdy will know!!

Get a field guide at the library or search on the innanet.

How do they taste<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Little darker meat than the hummingbirds, LOL!

Takes fewer to make a sandwich though, he, he!

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Where are you located? Is the underside (belly) the same coloration? Tail too? Does it feed on ground or up on feeder?

Need to know where you are.....

How long is the tail, relative to the body?

HoundGirl

junco?
they look kinda like two-thirds-size copies of cowbirds ...

That's where I was going.

Hope I get all questions answered: Slightly larger as related to female Brown- Headed Cowbirds, by plumpness in chest and belly. Configuration/profile/conformation in all aspects same as Goldfinch, head, tail, flight, feeding , interactions. Tail would be shorter than the cowbirds. Coloration as described in frst post, with no variations of brown, only charcoal to blacks, with tints of olive and blue when reflecting light. Handsome birds in a Gothic way.

Located now, South-Central Region of Indiana, about 60 mi. S. of Indy.

Was hoping to get pic, but not seen any today, but snow is melting (sort of). I've only seen when snow cover on and stormy weather. Just remembered, they only feed on ground, though have seen try the finch feeders, think their bill may be too big for the finch type feeders.

Stilll hope to get pic, hope it will be good enough help. Think I can get within 15 ft., if enough light for definition. Not seeing any there today, makes me think going back North somewhere. There was six of them here for one day when storm hit, and much worse about 100 mi. North of here for the storm. Come to think of it, are there any birds that migrate from South to North in bad weather?

Definitely not the common Junco we get here, unless a larger, different species. Junco here has longer tail, white underneath to gray, different flight characteristics. We have had larkspurs here when it gets real bad in MI, WI, MN.

Just checked, you wanted specific. As in relationship to Goldfinch profile, would estimate shorter, but hard to discern without comparison in view. Would estimte 1/2 length of body, maybe less, definitely not 3/4 length of body.

You just made me think, they do keep tail folded tighter when not in flight, than the Goldfinch. When tail is fold, gives appearance of having maybe only one or two feathers, and they keep it folded tight unless quick movement, or flight. When in flight, definitely not as long as compared to Goldfinch tail length in flight. Also very docile submissive when giving up territory to other birds, and seem to group more with the juncos, but hang as group if several on the ground, and group will still give territory to others.

that's funny. Wrong, but funny.

pepaw

Sounds to me like a slate junco. We have a bunch of them around the feeder all winter long.

Juncos prefer feeding on the ground around feeders. They all take off as one and exhibit noticible white under wings when taking off.

Does it look like this:




Or this:



The Dark-eyed Junco includes five forms that were once considered separate species. All pics in this post are of Dark-eyed Junco....just in different color forms. The top pic is an adult female in slate color form. The second pic is an adult in pink-sided form.

Edit: heck, I'll add one more since you said it looks similar to a brown cowbird. This is a an adult female in Oregon form: