Attention Birdwatchers

[EllieSuz]

We had a bird on the ground under the feeder today that I can't identify and have never seen before. Attempts to identify it with a book of North American birds and online have come up with nada.

It had a black head, back and wings and a brilliant white breast, but the kicker was a large bright red spot just below the throat, about the size of a quarter. Imagine that this spot is an oval with the top cut off by the black feathers on its throat. It also had a thin bright red line from this spot down the center of its breast. It was a bit smaller than a Robin, but larger than a Chickadee. It didn't hang around long enough to get the camera. Any ideas?

 

[superkat]

wow...first thought...woodpecker....

 

[EllieSuz]

No, it had a finch-like beak and it was a plump bird with no red on the head at all and no crest. We have quite a selection of Woodpeckers in the back woods, including an annual visit from a Piliated, so I am sure this was not a Woodpecker. I'm pretty sure that it was a bird that was "passing through" because it was most certainly not common to this area.

It was just back for a minute before a squirrel scared it away. There are also some white areas on the black wings and its tail is black. Its beak is sorta beige. It resembles a Chickadee more than anything else, except for that bright red spot.

 

[dreaminmel]

Did it look like this?

http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/205/overview/Rose-breasted_Grosbeak.aspx

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Grosbeak would be my first guess based on description but Grosbeak is much larger/plumper than a Chickadee

 

[oneradtek202]

same here, ditto for the gross beak......ive seen esp. during migration, HUGE numbers at a feeder , at one time.

 

[PCKRAJ]

Funny, I saw the same bird at my feeder about 10 minutes ago, and it is a red-breasted grosbeak.

 

[EllieSuz]

Yup, that's it! Now you're going to tell me that the Grosbeak is a common bird in Upstate NY, right? You can tell I'm not from around here. Thank you all for identifying this bird. It was driving me crazy. Here's another photo that shows the bright colors a little better. You are absolutely right, Gary; I'm watching him right now and he's much plumper than a Chickadee. Man, he's a beautiful bird.

http://www.northrup.org/photos/rose-breasted-grosbeak/

 

[superkat]

what a beautiful bird...

 

[quonnie]

This is the time of year you see them here. Yes they are fairly common to the area.

 

[EllieSuz]

He brought the wife this morning. Really a stunning pair of birds. Our resident Cardinal pair is spending a lot of time under the feeder too, so the two species compliment each other