Flock of bright yellow birds - Marin County, California (1 Viewer)

[Natalie]

Just a few minutes ago I was outside with my bins taking a look at the sparrows and such around the house, when I noticed a flock of about 10 yellow birds above me quickly flying north.

I'm at a loss as to what they could be. They were definitely songbirds, I'd say about 6-7" in length (larger than any of the goldfinches). They had a quick, direct flight, very slightly undulating, and although I caught them early with my binoculars, they were flying so fast I could only see them for about four seconds before they disappeared behind some trees. They were mostly bright yellow with what appeared to be an orange wash on their bellies, slightly darker wings, and no discernable markings.

My immediate thought while I was looking at them was "Yellow Warblers", but then my common sense kicked in and I remembered that (a) Yellow Warblers don't live here in the winter, and (b) they don't travel in flocks. Now I'm thinking they were possibly Varied Thrushes, but they didn't seem that large and I swear I would have remembered a bold black band on the breast. Does anyone have any ideas? As soon as the birds disappeared I came inside and made an illustration of them while my memory was fresh, so I've posted that.

Thanks in advance for any help.

EDIT: Also, since I was seeing them from below and at an angle, I didn't really get to see what color their backs were. They could have been the same color as the wings.

 

[The Falcon]

Just a few minutes ago I was outside with my bins taking a look at the sparrows and such around the house, when I noticed a flock of about 10 yellow birds above me quickly flying north.

I'm at a loss as to what they could be. They were definitely songbirds, I'd say about 6-7" in length (larger than any of the goldfinches). They had a quick, direct flight, very slightly undulating, and although I caught them early with my binoculars, they were flying so fast I could only see them for about four seconds before they disappeared behind some trees. They were mostly bright yellow with what appeared to be an orange wash on their bellies, slightly darker wings, and no discernable markings.

My immediate thought while I was looking at them was "Yellow Warblers", but then my common sense kicked in and I remembered that (a) Yellow Warblers don't live here in the winter, and (b) they don't travel in flocks. Now I'm thinking they were possibly Varied Thrushes, but they didn't seem that large and I swear I would have remembered a bold black band on the breast. Does anyone have any ideas? As soon as the birds disappeared I came inside and made an illustration of them while my memory was fresh, so I've posted that.

Thanks in advance for any help.

They could have been female Red Crossbills. It's unlikely they would be all females, but who knows.

 

[Larry Lade]

Cedar Waxwings would be in a flock and could show yellow when view from below!

 

[Natalie]

Thanks for the replies. I'm still clueless... These birds were very brightly colored, like Yellow Warblers or some kind of oriole. They were very stunning to watch, I wish I could have seen them perched even for a second. This is going to bother me forever.

The waxwings look similar, but these birds were definitely bright yellow on the bottom. Immature male Red Crossbills also resemble the birds I saw, especially this one. None of the birds had a significant amount of red on them, but I think the orange might have been variable. The two I got my bins on had orange on the breasts, but i'm not sure about the others.

Looking through my big Sibley guide now, I see that the Red Crossbill is listed as a winter bird in my area... In the smaller western guide (which is a more recent publication, 2003 compared to 2000), they are listed as "rare" in my area with green instead of blue shading. Which one is correct? The last record for my county was in the middle of July of all months.

 

[Natalie]

Also, I'm wondering if the habitat here would be right for crossbills... The vast majority of the trees here are various oak species and California Bay, but down in the valley there are some very large Douglas-firs (home to several noisy Pileated Woodpeckers) and some smaller Coast Redwoods scattered throughout the area. Do crossbills utilize these species as a food source?

Interestingly, Cornell's "All About Birds" page appears to show purple (year-round) shading in my area, as does my Lone Pine "Birds of Northern California" guide. Now I'm even more confused.

 

[The Falcon]

Also, I'm wondering if the habitat here would be right for crossbills... The vast majority of the trees here are various oak species and California Bay, but down in the valley there are some very large Douglas-firs (home to several noisy Pileated Woodpeckers) and some smaller Coast Redwoods scattered throughout the area. Do crossbills utilize these species as a food source?

Interestingly, Cornell's "All About Birds" page appears to show purple (year-round) shading in my area, as does my Lone Pine "Birds of Northern California" guide. Now I'm even more confused.

They can be see in Douglas-fir trees. They also can be seen in spruce, pine, and hemlock. Red Crossbills main food source is conifer seeds.
Ebird shows that they are uncommon in your area, but not rare. Even some parts of CA they can be seen all year.

So you very well could have seen Red Crossbills.

 

[cavan wood]

What about evening grosbeaks, or is that too far south.

Scott

 

[Natalie]

Evening Grosbeaks I believe can be found here in the winter, but I would have noticed their boldly patterned wings. The color of their breast/belly is close, though.

I think I'm going to call the birds I saw Red Crossbills, but I'm not going to mark them on any of my lists (they would be lifers for me) because there's no way of being absolutely sure. This weekend I'm going to keep my bins pointed towards the conifers in hopes of seeing some more.

 

[bkrownd]

Thanks for the replies. I'm still clueless... These birds were very brightly colored, like Yellow Warblers or some kind of oriole. They were very stunning to watch, I wish I could have seen them perched even for a second. This is going to bother me forever.

Are the yellow variety of house finch out of the question?

Somewhat smaller but more like the yellow you describe are saffron finches. They're blazing yellow.

 

[lou salomon]

i ask myself why nobody suggested the brightest yellow flockbirds in that area: american goldfinch or lesser goldfinch.

 

[Jim M.]

i ask myself why nobody suggested the brightest yellow flockbirds in that area: american goldfinch or lesser goldfinch.

I'm at a loss as to what they could be. They were definitely songbirds, I'd say about 6-7" in length (larger than any of the goldfinches).

Best,
Jim