Hello Tweeters:

Had a strange bird at my black sunflower feeder this evening. It showed up
a couple of times and stayed for about 5 10 minutes each time.

The bird is about the size and shape of a HOUSE FINCH, but it is very pale
yellow in color with the tail feathers even lighter and close to white. It
has a small brown "skull cap" and a small brown patch high on it's back,
with a stream of brown going down it's shoulder, in front of the wing, on
the left side only. There is no brown on the right side of the bird at all.

This bird seems to flock with the House Finches though it did get on the
upside down thistle feeder where AMERICAN GOLD FINCHES were at, and in
comparison to the Gold Finches it appeared just a little larger and a little
fatter. It's yellow was also distinctly pale when compared to the Gold
Finches. An interesting thing is that while at the thistle feeder it was
able to hang upside down looking for the feeding hole, but didn't get any
and went over to the black sunflower feeder and ate there for a while. I
have never seen a House Finch hang upside down on the thistle feeder like
this bird did.

Is it possible that this bird is an albino House Finch? Is there any
possibility that it could be a hybrid of some kind? Any suggestions on what
it might be?

Jim Brewster
Kent Washington
brewinkent at msn.com