Marcy sent me several mystery birds. Here’s one that’s been a regular visitor to her feeders during the month of July.
Do you know what bird this is? Here are some hints:
- Stripe-y. Note whether the stripes are narrow or wide.
- Bill shape
- At the feeder
- Just a little splash of color. Note what color it is and where.
- Big hint: This bird shouldn’t be here now.
What do you think?
(photo by Marcy Cunkelman)
I noticed the stripe and the wing color and the beak. Didn’t think to consider the fact that it was at the feeder. Maybe that’s why I went off searching in the wrong direction. I was off to look for pictures of juveniles of a few species that might have that color in the edges of the wings. Well, Cornell saved me on this one with their “related species” suggestions. I knew it wasn’t a goldfinch (the beak is the giveaway here) but it seemed as good a place as any to start. And that it was, they actually have a picture with both an American goldfinch and a pine siskin sitting on the same branch!
I believe it is a female pine siskin, but I had to dig out my Field Guide to figure it out!
Looks like a pine siskin to me. We had a big flock of them living around us 2 winters ago, but none at all last winter. And they shouldn’t be here in the summer!
Before I read the above article about this bird, I immediately thought Pine Siskin. I can see a hint of yellow on the wings and on the tail. The beak is pointy. I have had scads of them in the winter that love my feeding area.
The bird feeder in the pic is fascinating! It may be something I would be interested in purchasing. Could Marcy please provide more info about it? If so, that would be great and thanks.
It looks like it is filled with sunflower hearts. Amazingly, when I have Pine Siskins in the winter, they prefer sunflower hearts over Nyjer seed. I would have thought otherwise.
I’m not familiar with East Coast birds but it looks like a Pine Siskin. I’m from Oregon but have enjoyed your site.
I believe it is a female Pine Siskin. This is its winter range, so wrong time of year.
Mark
Yinzes always amaze. For the last few weeks i have seen several shows on Alzeiheimer disease & bec. I am in my 70s it always peaks my interest as to what I should & should not be doing to allay any symptoms. Anyway, I never saw this bird, never heard of this bird & now I have this new & wonderful picture & info on a new thing in my brain that I am trying to keep filled with something new everyday. Thank you all so very much & to Kate for adding to your varied species lists. I always wonder sometimes during the bad storms lately & how they seem sometime to come from different directions that the usual ones & maybe that how some of these birds seem to be seen when & where they were not before. *does that make any sense???
This Pine Siskin (male) showed up at the “ALL-WEATHER FEEDER” on June 29th and was here hanging around with the Goldfinches…it would come, sing and call, eat and leave….this would happen several times a day, so the last I usually saw it was around 7:00pm, eating like crazy and then flying down over the hill….we don’t have any real tall pine trees here for nesting areas. It was here until the evening on the 23rd of July…about the time the female would be done incubating the eggs…apparently she stays on continuously until the eggs hatch, so the male feeders her…no sign since then, but it is about 2 1/2 weeks, so if there was a nest, I hope they will return and feed here for a few days…hopefully they will come on Friday, the 13th, when I will be home…that will be a good day and 3 weeks since it was last seen. I will send info to Kate about the All Weather Feeder…it’s the best…I have some interesting photos I can send also after the squirrels and bear eating out of it…and it’s still working…
This is not on point, but there was an extensive story on NBC Nat’l News this evening about a barn owl nest box in CA that the homeowner fitted with cameras so he could broadcast the activities of “Molly” and “McGuire”. (I didn’t get the site.) The anchor and reporter were astounded that so many people would watch the hatching, fledging, and now the second clutch of eggs!
Not exactly breaking news for those of us who follow Kate’s blogs!
Anne