Subject: Questions/comments/need help on an ID
Date: Feb 19 20:50:40 1999
From: Rob Saecker - rsaecker at thurston.com


At 2:11 PM 2/19/99, Jacki Bricker wrote:
>These birds are the size of a golden-crowned kinglet, and the relative
>shape of a nuthatch (in that their head is squashed down next to the body,
>looking like they have no neck). They vary from dusky olive to a
>yellowish-olive underneath. There are no wingbars present on either
>gender. They are relatively uniform in color, with a medium-length, sharp
>pointed bill (seed eater bill).
>
>Their color is overall uniform, except for an occasional one that travels
>with them that has a yellow and black striped crown. They were spotted
>flitting from a conifer tree to a deciduous tree, and liked to stay up in
>the canopy. I liken their behavior to a chickadee because they grab onto
>branches upside down occasionally. I often see them mid-day in a small
>flock (about a dozen birds). They hang out in the tree outside my window
>for about 20 minutes, and then move on.

And Sandra C. Andersen. wrote:
>Look up "bushtits" or "verdins"( yellow head). I think those are the most
>likely suspects!

Jacki,

Bushtit might be a good guess for a relatively uniform colored bird, but
any little bird with a black and yellow striped head, occasionally hanging
upside down, is a golden-crowned kinglet. As for verdin, they would be
about as likely here as, say, Xantus' hummingbird. :) Not impossible, but
not very likely. Hope this helps.

Rob Saecker
Olympia