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Solo Bird ID, please

12 years ago

Saw this chap in central Connecticut today, in open space surrounded by meadows and forests, alone. It was noon sun, so the pictures are not great. Have searched Sibley and Audubon books, did not spot the breed. Does anyone know who this chap is? Thanks in advance for looking.

As close as I can get without losing more clarity:-the eye is yellow/gold

Jane

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Comments (6)

catherinet
12 years ago
At first I was going to say mockingbird, but the bill looks more like a yellow or black-billed cuckoo.
corunum z6 CT
Original Author
12 years ago
Never thought of cuckoo, but you may correct. You're right about the bill. I'm going to try and get another picture with more detail and I also sent this image to Cornell, so hopefully, there will be an answer soon for this mystery bird.
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Whitelacey.......this is so funny! I looked out my kitchen window, and on the ground under my suet feeder was a bird that looked just like what you described. Very black head and back with white stripes on the wings, and very white chest and abdomen. Of course, just as I turned to get my camera, it flew off. I should have stayed and observed more instead! As it flew off, it had pretty obvious white wing stripes. My first inclination was a juvenile male towhee.....since we have lots of towhees around. I saw no brown. I'll keep my eye out and my camera close-by........but I immediately thought of you and wondered if, now, I will be driven crazy too. hahaha What caught my eye as it was flying up to a tree was the white on it's wings, which made me think of a red-headed woodpecker. I looked up juvenile redheaded woodpecker and some of the pics looked like it, except mostly in the pics, their heads were grayish. Oh well.....hopefully I'll see it again!
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catherinet
12 years ago
Have you been hearing cuckoos? They're usually heard but not seen around here. The only times I've seen them up close have been when they hit the windows! Fortunately, they caught their breath and flew away. They're very handsome birds!
corunum z6 CT
Original Author
12 years ago
Catherinet - the bird has been confirmed as a Northern Mockingbird - your first instinct was correct! Thanks for replying.
catherinet
12 years ago
Glad your mystery was solved Jane!
I don't see too many mockingbirds and didn't realize their beaks look like that.
Just in case you don't know this.......many times they chatter in the middle of the night! Its so weird to hear a bird talking so much in the darkness! One time I came home from work around 1:30 a.m. and it was totally dark and the mocker was talking up a storm!
Happy Birding!
lori239
12 years ago
Def. looks like a mocker but I've never seen one with any yellow.

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