Scratching my head (1 Viewer)

[KC Foggin]

What is the bird on the right?

The beak seems wrong for a finch of any kind, the yellow I'm seeing made me first think it was a Siskin but again, the beak isn't right.

 

[JANJ]

Hi KC.

Yellow variant House Finch.

JanJ

 

[mauricek]

I fancy iy might be a Twite but but I'm by no means confident.It's athought tho'.
maurice

 

[cavan wood]

I agree that it is a house finch, although the end of the bill seems somewhat misshapen.

Scott

 

[KC Foggin]

Thanks guys. Perhaps it is just a damaged beak that was throwing me off.

 

[Andrew Goodall]

What is it?

Hi
I will go with JanJ and say House Finch

 

[KenM]

Looks like you have a Baltimore Oriole (Oh to have one of those over here..to brighten up our leaden grey skies) and Fem/Imm House Finch with the requisite short primary projection.

cheers...and merry xmas.

 

[KC Foggin]

I've got 4 Baltimore Orioles. Put the jelly feeder out the minute I saw a BO youngster and then they came

 

[Whooping Crone]

KC -

Just out of curiosity - with the strong facial pattern and unstreaked undertail, why is it not a female Purple finch?

 

[JANJ]

KC -

Just out of curiosity - with the strong facial pattern and unstreaked undertail, why is it not a female Purple finch?

I think the facial pattern is to weak for Purple, although there´s a slight hint of it but not somewhat like this:

http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/41701/sort/1/cat/all/page/1

Purple has a straight culmen with a slight down-curve to the tip at best, while House have the familiar distinct curve throughout the whole culmen. However, in KC's bird culmen is more or less straight, or at least maybe slightly deformed? Further in KC's image the undertail coverts are slightly streaked, which can be seen in all Carpodacus finches.

http://www.pbase.com/photon180/image/37127961

http://www.migrationresearch.org/mbo/id/pufi.html

http://www.migrationresearch.org/mbo/id/hofi.html#ahyfb

JanJ

 

[Whooping Crone]

I think the facial pattern is to weak for Purple, although there´s a slight hint of it but not somewhat like this:

JanJ - Purple finches are variable in the amount of facial pattern. In the pacific populations, this bird would be typical.


>>>Purple has a straight culmen with a slight down-curve to the tip at best, while House have the familiar distinct curve throughout the whole culmen. However, in KC's bird culmen is more or less straight, <<<<

Yes, the relatively straight culmen was another plus for Purple, but I figured since it seems to have a degree of deformity it may not be diagnostic enough to mention.

>>> in KC's image the undertail coverts are slightly streaked, which can be seen in all Carpodacus finches.<<<

There is slight streaking in all, but house finches are more heavily streaked through the UTCs, so faint streaking is again more indicative of a Purple than a House.

I appreciate the response & the links, JANJ. However, I have to say KC's bird still looks like a PUFI female to me.

Cheers!

 

[KC Foggin]

Well, I did have a male Purple Finch show up that day as well. There was no mistaken that one

 

[james holdsworth]

Small headed, small billed, small eyed....all House Finch for me, prob. 1st basic.