Bird Question

[kurtteej]

This picture isnt a bird in the Adirondacks, so it might not be fair to post it here. I've been trying to figure out what this is and have been unsuccessful. If anyone can suggest what this is, I'd appreciate it. The closest I can find in the Audobon guides is that it could be in the wren family.

I took this photo last weekend on the north fork of Long Island walking around in some wetlands just to give a little bit of info.

Kurt

[Boreal Chickadee]

That's a seed eating bill, so definitely not the wren family.

Am I seeing a colored cap on top of the head or is that just the lighting?

Anything about color you saw or more markings?

doing some editing here ; My first guess with no other clues is a female red winged blackbird

[kurtteej]

you might be correct on that. In that area there's a LOT of red-wings. Paging thru the audobon guide i did stop for a second or 2 on that one.

I don't recall anything on the cap -- it really happened fast. I pointed, shot and it was gone. I lightened the original a lot more than the posted image and it's essentially a brown bird with lots of white spots on it's underbelly.

KT

[Boreal Chickadee]

I knew it wasn't a wren on first glance but photos can be tricky. At first when I looked at the picture quickly I thought it was a finch bill and typed that in. I returned to the photo and realized it was the camera angle and the bill wasn't quite as blocky as I first thought. Still much bigger than a wren bill, but not as blocky as a finch. It was then that I thought of females and came up with the red winged blackbird.

I still remember an exam I took in college and had to identify species during the practicum. Thirty seconds at each station and there was this study skin (stuffed bird) with spots on the chest and I had to identify the family it belonged to. I was finally stumped and watching my 100 slip away as I went to other stations. FINALLY it dawned on me that it was an immature robin and belonged to the thrush (Turdidae) family. All thrushes, of which the robin is one, have spotted breasts at one time or another in their lifespan. I was concentrating too much on the individual bird and not on its general characteristics. Incidentally until you've seen study skins up close you don't realize how very different they look stretched out head to toes in such an unnatural positioning.

[kurtteej]

i brightened the photo a little bit more and reposted it.

My neighbor and I had the same initial thought, that it was some juvie bird that neither of us could find a picture of. I also thought of some female version of something really colorful [blue jay females can be gray fluff balls].

Either way, thanks for your help.

[birdny]

Ok just to confirm your bird. It IS a female redwing blackbird.

[kurtteej]

thanks birdny.

where do you bird?

Kurt

[birdny]

I bird anywhere and everywhere. Mostly in NY. I've been to every county in New York birding. I've been doing it about 25 of my 38 years. It's a lot of fun!

[kurtteej]

Oh i find it to be a huge challenge to photograph them. If I'm close enough to them then i cant move to get a good shot -- or I'm not close enough and the focus is soft on my big lenses. I've been trying to get photos of them for about 20 years, most of them are worthless.