Bird I.D. help - Page 3

nomar · ‎03-12-2010

Beginning to sound just like a fox sparrow....long tail, but he sure looks different than the picture shown here. The pics never seem to show the top knotch standing up. Maybe, he does that out of fear when with the other birds. He is so timid. Definitly not female cardinal. We have about 20 pair of them eating at our feeder every winter and some stay all year. Thanks to all the detectives out there helping.

Bird mama · ‎03-12-2010

Could it be a lark?

There are many elements: wind, fire, water
But none quite like the element of surprise

JustJazzmom · ‎03-09-2010

Cardinals do not migrate to warmer climates and remain here year round; red wing blackbirds migrate and my first sign of spring is the return of these birds.

Blue Jays and robins do not migrate. Robins go into a sort of torpor during the winter months and emerge out of it from time to time to get some food and drink and then go back into that state until the warmer weather of spring happens.

☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼

Harpa · ‎03-10-2010

It really would help to know which part of the country you are in, just a general vacinity.

About sparrows going to feeders...

When I lived in the country/country, we had a huge double-decker bird feeder. One deck was about a foot off the ground, the other tier about 4-5 feet. The platforms were about 4 feet x 6 feet. There was a shingled roof on top (about 8 feet off the ground) with perches everywhere. My husband had built it. And of course, sparrows went to that feeder all the time. In fact, you name it, and we had it (in their proper visiting seasons): cedar waxwings, indigo buntings, quail, orioles, redpolls...

But I've never seen a sparrow at my present squirrel proof (except for Mustache) feeder. Right now (in Februrary) the yellow throats visit all the time, but they are definitely ground feeders.

NickNack · ‎03-10-2010

On 2/20/2015 Harpa said:
It really would help to know which part of the country you are in, just a general vacinity.

About sparrows going to feeders...

When I lived in the country/country, we had a huge double-decker bird feeder. One deck was about a foot off the ground, the other tier about 4-5 feet. The platforms were about 4 feet x 6 feet. There was a shingled roof on top (about 8 feet off the ground) with perches everywhere. My husband had built it. And of course, sparrows went to that feeder all the time. In fact, you name it, and we had it (in their proper visiting seasons): cedar waxwings, indigo buntings, quail, orioles, redpolls...

But I've never seen a sparrow at my present squirrel proof (except for Mustache) feeder. Right now (in Februrary) the yellow throats visit all the time, but they are definitely ground feeders.

She said she was in Mid Missouri.

The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau

ValuSkr · ‎03-15-2014

On 2/20/2015 Bird mama said:
Could it be a lark?

Maybe, but only the Horned Lark is native to North America.

HandJive · ‎12-28-2012

On 2/20/2015 nomar said:
Thanks for all the suggested possibilities. No, not a Thrasher. We have a pair of them nest every summer. He is smaller than that, but the deep dark rust color is right. He scoots around the ground and kicks up his feet like a Junco does and only eats from the ground. I cannot get a pic because he seems so timid and flys away if we even look out the window at him for a minute. I am in Mid Missouri and he comes every winter during the really cold weather. I have been on that wonderful site of What a bird. Looked under brown birds and small birds. No luck yet. Will get on the All about birds site next. Thanks for those web sites. Maybe he IS a fox sparrow with a bad hair-do. But it is always standing up on top (like a crest) and he has a ruffled appearance to his dark reddish brown bib at his neck and upper chest. I am obsessed with finding his breed. Maybe is is just an odd bird of his breed is why he is always alone. ${#emotions_dlg.sad}$

Could it be a Northern Flicker?

Harpa · ‎03-10-2010

On 2/20/2015 NickNack said:
On 2/20/2015 Harpa said:
It really would help to know which part of the country you are in, just a general vacinity.

About sparrows going to feeders...

When I lived in the country/country, we had a huge double-decker bird feeder. One deck was about a foot off the ground, the other tier about 4-5 feet. The platforms were about 4 feet x 6 feet. There was a shingled roof on top (about 8 feet off the ground) with perches everywhere. My husband had built it. And of course, sparrows went to that feeder all the time. In fact, you name it, and we had it (in their proper visiting seasons): cedar waxwings, indigo buntings, quail, orioles, redpolls...

But I've never seen a sparrow at my present squirrel proof (except for Mustache) feeder. Right now (in Februrary) the yellow throats visit all the time, but they are definitely ground feeders.

She said she was in Mid Missouri.

Oh, thanks! And I need to apologize...it's not yellow throated sparrows, but white throated. All I thought about was their yellow patch.

The only other sparrows that come to a suet feeder type are the song sparrows. But I'm in the northeast, so they may have different habits in other parts of the country.

As to OP's birdie, I don't know. Which books are you using? Peterson? Audubon?