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what is this bird at the feeder

16 years ago

Can anyone identify this bird? Is it a lark bunting? I've seen it at the feeder a couple of times today. I am in central Oklahoma.

Thanks.

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Comments (13)

jiggreen
16 years ago
I'm pretty new at this id'ing thing, so hopefully someone more "in the know" chimes in.......but it looks very much like the song sparrows that visit my feeders.
gymell
16 years ago
Looks like a female purple finch to me.

--
Liz in Bloomington, MN
Backyard weather and feedercam: http://www.overlookcircle.org
Photo gallery: http://www.pbase.com/gymell/liz_favorites
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lizmstanley
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jiggreen
16 years ago
Yes! It does look like a female purple finch! And that makes sense because it's on the feeder and not scrounging around on the ground...plus it has a finchy beak! What is that yellowish bird in the background..it's kind of hard to see?
rachel_frome_ky
16 years ago
Yup! I'd show you a photo but Picasa Web Albums has been down this evening
gymell
16 years ago
What is that yellowish bird in the background

Male goldfinch in winter plumage ... another clue that its friend is a purple finch. Looks like they're eating nyger seed.

--
Liz in Bloomington, MN
Backyard weather and feedercam: http://www.overlookcircle.org
Photo gallery: http://www.pbase.com/gymell/liz_favorites
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lizmstanley
rachel_frome_ky
16 years ago
OK-Picasa started working again-at least for now!

female and male Purple Finches, 4-9-08
From 4-7-08
jiggreen
16 years ago
It just seems so unfair the the females are so blah and the males so pretty! :)
paulsiu
16 years ago
No really, the female are drab because they need to hide to avoid being having herself and the eggs be spotted and eaten by a predator. The guy bird is pretty but gets hit for being brightly colored.
mac60
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the feedback everyone. This bird first caught my attention last week. I saw a very noticable darker streaking on its chest, as compared to the "regulars" at the feeders, the house finches and pine siskens. This was with the naked eye @ approximately 20 feet. In looking online and in my field guides, at first I was leaning towards a female lark bunting, mainly because the pics I was finding of a purple finch appeared to be more "drab". I am located just outside the migration area for lark buntings and just outside the winter area for purple finches (according to my Oklahoma field guide.) However, the pic Rachel provided above does look like "my" bird. This leads me to wonder about some of the birds that I thought were male house finches, when I looked at them I just thought "wow" their color is just "brilliant" compared to some of the other male house finches. Think maybe I have a mix of house and purple? If I do.....this sure makes my FeederWatch bird counting much more difficult! :) I am open to any and all recommendations for good online bird identification sites. I have used Whatbird.com and the Cornell site often. Still though, it can be tricky sometimes. Thanks again for everyone's feedback.
jannd
16 years ago
I'm in California and we have both house and purple finches here and I'll be damned if I can tell them apart most of the time. They mob my feeders and I don't bother sorting them, I just enjoy having them here.
organic_bassetlvr
16 years ago
They are certainly similar but if you look carefully you'll see the female purples have a light or white eyebrow, the houses don't. On the males, the red on the purples (who named these purple?)will be evident under the tail and there will be little or no streaking on their sides. Male houses are streaky & look chunkier. Mostly it's just a matter of observing them & soon it will be second nature-not to say you won't get fooled now & then, I sure do.
Susan
Elly_NJ
16 years ago
Also: Purple finches have deeply notched tails :)
robcassidy
16 years ago
Hi! Yes, right you are. Your bird is a female Purple Finch. What gives it away is the white facial stripes.

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