tags: American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis, photographed in Buffalo Bayou in West Houston, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 15 February 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/320s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso40.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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tags: Wild Canary, Eastern Goldfinch, American Goldfinch, Spinus tristis, Carduelis tristis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] American Goldfinch, also known as the Eastern Goldfinch or the Wild Canary, Spinus (Carduelis) tristis, photographed on the Brazoria Wildlife Refuge,…
tags: mystery bird, identify this bird, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Pine Warbler, Dendroica pinus, photographed at Port Bolivar, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 13 January 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ…
tags: birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird #1] Ring-necked Duck, Aythya collaris, photographed at the Hermann Park Conservancy, Houston, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 18 November 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with…
tags: Lesser Scaup, Little Bluebill, Aythya affinis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Male Lesser Scaup, also known as a Little Bluebill, Aythya affinis, photographed in Tom Bass Regional Park, Houston, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy…
Escaped canary!
I spent awhile trying to figure out what this might be the juvenile form of, because I couldn't think of any tiny yellow finch-billed birds with no significant markings. But does this bird actually lack markings, or are they just carefully out of sight?
I'm going to call this an American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis), winter plumage ... and carefully perched to prevent us from seeing its wings! None of the other yellow finches are plausible. This bird is too yellow to be a pine siskin, not yellow enough to be Lawrence's Golfdinch, and lacks the cap of the Lesser Goldfinch.
I'm going with Lesser Goldfinch dressed for winter. I'm saying Lesser Goldfinch due to the color of the bill and the white patch on the abdomen. This bird looks a great deal like the Lesser Goldfinches that are visiting my thistle feeder here in Reno.