My money is on juv Brown-headed Cowbird, the most generic looking bird
there is!
On Sun, Jul 23, 2023 at 8:24 AM <
jimbetz at jimbetz.com> wrote:
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Hi,
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I'm trying to 'get it right'. I've had this particular kind of bird
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showing up at our feeders, and now fountain, for at least two years. I've
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been calling it a house sparrow - but not confident in that. Let me
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describe the bird to you:
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Overall grey color, no distinct bands of color anywhere. Never any
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bands of white or black anywhere on the body or head. "It's that
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grey bird." No apparent changes due to seasonal differences or
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age of bird.
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The same overall size as a sparrow or a finch. A touch 'longer'?
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Sometimes pretty small (juveniles?).
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Body shape a little bit 'streamlined' - not ever plump but also
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not skinny. Just 'trim'.
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Bill and head are the same as a sparrow or finch.
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Behaviors are essentially the same as sparrows or finches. Sometimes
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on ground (like sparrows) but more often in the bushes, at the feeder,
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or at our bubbler fountain.
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Not 'vocal'. Not mute but not 'always singing'. Sounds are more
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'chirps'
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than 'songs'.
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Often in twos or threes but usually one at a time. Does not fly in
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small
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flocks like the Goldfinches. Never in large flocks. They do not 'fly
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together' (usually).
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Common - here several times a day. And here pretty much 'whenever you
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might expect to see a sparrow or finch' (meaning year round for us).
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Perhaps - not sure of this - just a bit more skittish than the rest of
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the
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birds here (a slight tendency to flush more easily).
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If I had to pick I'd say it mostly feeds on seeds rather than insects
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But I might be wrong about that and only basing it upon what's available
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here in our yard - that's true of all of the birds here.
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Other birds we see all the time are sparrows (3 or 4 different types),
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finches (including goldfinches), siskins (less common), chickadees,
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Juncos, grosbeaks, waxwings, robins, towhees, even the occasional
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jays and flickers and other larger birds. And Anna's (always Anna's).
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We live on a hill that is mostly houses. The West side is forested
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but we live on the East side where all the houses are. Many/most of the
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yards are grass and planted non-native species (decorative) but the
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undeveloped areas are firs, pines, and lots of alder. Quite a bit of
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the hill is blackberry bramble (wherever it has been cleared and then
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left alone for 5 or more years - "unmaintained"). Our house is at
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most a city block or so from a couple of the undeveloped area. Many of
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the trees in the yards are 20 feet tall. The house is about 300 feet
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above the valley floor.
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Soooo, any guesses about these birds?
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- Jim in Burlington
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>
--
Steve Hampton
Port Townsend, WA (qatáy)