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Need Bird ID Help

hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA

12 years ago

Had a bird visit my feeders and yard today I've never seen before. Tried to snap a pic but of course couldn't get my iPhone unlocked fast enough. It was small about the size of a warbler or smaller vireo. It had grayish wings with white bars, a buff under breast with a rosy throat and a bluish gray cap/head. Think the back was greenish gray like many warblers Vey pretty and softly colored. Not sure if it is a regular visitor or migrating through. Actually think I had a male and female and the female lacked the bluish crown. . I've searched my iBird Pro and my Nat'l Geographic Field Guide Birds of Western North America. I'm in San Diego county close to the ocean and in a rural canyon area. Can anyone help me ID this little bird?

Patty S.

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Comments (6)

lindac
12 years ago
Rose breasted nut hatch? What was it doing?
Linda C
hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
Original Author
12 years ago
Nope, definitely not a Nuthatch. They're quite distinguishing as to how they look and run upside down up a tree trunk :-) This bird was more Vireo/Warbler/Sparrow looking. Rounded head, small beak, small bird maybe the size of a Song Sparrow. It was checking out my feeders and hanging out on my Bird of Paradise near the feeder. Pretty sure I saw male and female together, but they didn't hang around long enough for me to be able to get a photo.

Patty S.
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Good Morning everyone. I placed a call to the rescue center this morning and left a msg...waiting for a reply I checked out the pic of the bobwhite and it doesn`t match but the pic of the nothern rough-tailed swallow is very close. The differences are that it does not have the black band across the eyes and it doesn`t have the needle like ending to the tail feathers but the overall shape, size and color are very close. My initial thought when I say the bird was that it was a swallow because of the wings. I looked this bird up on google and it is on the rare bird site. We sit at night and watch these little guys dance throught the sky in groups. This year is the first year that I have seen these so they must be new to our area or the population is growing. I live in the heart of a large city across the river from Detroit MI. I will keep looking on google and will post if/when I get an answer from the rescue center. Well I just got a call from the rescue center and the little guy did not make it.....:( She said that he may have been bleeding interally...all we saw was the bleeding from his foot....may have been attacked by a cat??? She did ID him for me and he was a Chimney Swift. I google this and the pic is exactly what he looked like. Thank you everyone for helping. Louise
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Took these a while back and never got around to posting them, ran across them again today and thought I'd see if someone could help me figure out what kind of bird/raptor this is, some photos are in a set, but there are a few more which aren't in set that show a second bird flying in around tree, assuming it's a parent bird but idk, this bird almost looks to be a hawk of some kind with no head feathers, or does to me anyway. Any help appreciated! Thanks Here is a link that might be useful: Mystery bird pics
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Goldfinches in the non-breeding season are very drab compared to their summer glory. Sibley Guide: The Annual plumage cycle of a male American Goldfinch Click on "play" to see the slideshow of monthly changes. Claire This post was edited by claire on Fri, Oct 17, 14 at 16:09
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feather_z9_ncacoast
11 years ago
I believe the proper name of that nuthatch is Red-breasted.

Sounds to me like the bird you saw sounds a lot like a Red-faced Warbler, which is a Mexican species occasionally seen in Arizona, and possibly southern CA:
hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
Original Author
11 years ago
Oh, I wish! Lovely bird, but not what I saw. This bird (and the female) was much softer colored. But pretty sure it's a warbler. Had that shape. The crown was greyish blue. A very soft greyish blue. the throat was soft rose, but very pale that blended into a buff underside. But, the top coloration looks similar and the wing coloring with white bars is the same. I think it's a warbler or vireo, but can't figure out which one.

Patty S.
hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
Original Author
11 years ago
Okay, they're back and in better light. Mystery solved, I'm being visited by a lovely pair of Lazuli Buntings, oh my gosh!! This is a first in my yard since I've lived here.

Thanks all for trying to help me. I got a very clear look at these birds today, and saw that the blue extended across the back, and the head was even bluer than I had realized. I thought at first it might be a Western Bluebird, but it wasn't big enough. Such a pretty little bird and so glad to see it at my feeders!!
feather_z9_ncacoast
11 years ago
congrats on the ID. I was going for warbler, but obviously no green and no yellow....glad you discovered the bunting :)

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