Can you help ID this bird please?

Marilynne

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It's a Cuckoo, but is it Mangrove or Yellow Billed? I don't see the black band across the eye for Mangrove and the Yellow-Billed doesn't have the yellowish feathers.

dsc_0293_001_01.jpg
 

wev

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It's a Cuckoo, but is it Mangrove or Yellow Billed? I don't see the black band across the eye for Mangrove and the Yellow-Billed doesn't have the yellowish feathers.

With the grayish head, I'm inclined to Mangrove. The eye band can be variable, especially with juveniles early in the season. Nice capture
 

Marilynne

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With the grayish head, I'm inclined to Mangrove. The eye band can be variable, especially with juveniles early in the season. Nice capture

Thanks, I'm leaning more towards the Yellow-Billed though.

My Sibley book shows the juvie Mangrove with the black band through the eye.
 
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Dawg Pics

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Can you tell if this is a Bushtit or a Wrentit from this image? The head was buff, and the back was a grayish color. Looked kind of blue/gray in the sun. Very long tail. Possibly some faint striping on the belly, but my images were too blurry to be certain. By the time I figured out why my lens wasn't focusing, he flew off. :p

bushtit maybe N  FR 500 4450.jpg
 

wev

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Can you tell if this is a Bushtit or a Wrentit from this image? The head was buff, and the back was a grayish color. Looked kind of blue/gray in the sun. Very long tail. Possibly some faint striping on the belly, but my images were too blurry to be certain. By the time I figured out why my lens wasn't focusing, he flew off. :p

Looks like a bushtit to me. Lot's of them this year
 

Dawg Pics

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@wev Thanks. I thought it might be a wrentit at first, but wasn't sure. Seems like the wrentit has more gray on the head. This one is more buff. OK, going with Bushtit as a new bird in my backyard. :)
 

hark

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Definitely a lousy image - was only testing this lens due to issues with the AF. This was a new bird that I've never seen, and it gave off a chirp that was completely unrecognizable to anything I've ever heard. Any idea what it is?

And what are the lines on the right side? Eye lashes? Whiskers?

_5DX4532 low res.jpg
 

wev

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Definitely a lousy image - was only testing this lens due to issues with the AF. This was a new bird that I've never seen, and it gave off a chirp that was completely unrecognizable to anything I've ever heard. Any idea what it is?

And what are the lines on the right side? Eye lashes? Whiskers?

Size? Was it monotone in color?
 

hark

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Size? Was it monotone in color?

Bigger than a sparrow but smaller than a robin. Yes, pretty much monotone. It flew from one branch to this location so it wasn't ideal to get a decent image.
 

Marilynne

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Definitely a lousy image - was only testing this lens due to issues with the AF. This was a new bird that I've never seen, and it gave off a chirp that was completely unrecognizable to anything I've ever heard. Any idea what it is?

And what are the lines on the right side? Eye lashes? Whiskers?

View attachment 358224

Did it have a blue/black cap on its head Cindy? Looks like a Grey Catbird to me, but I'm usually wrong.

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/gray-catbird
 

hark

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Did it have a blue/black cap on its head Cindy? Looks like a Grey Catbird to me, but I'm usually wrong.

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/gray-catbird

That was actually my first thought -- a fledgling juvenile maybe? I can sort of see some crown cap darkening

I never saw the back or top of its head. It kept its eye on me the entire time by always facing me. Here is another pic which I lightened even more. Although it looks kind of buff-colored, it really was more greyish. I've seen people locally post images of catbirds so I know they are around - and when I saw it, I wondered if that's what it might be.

The greens on my PC are horrible. So there's some magenta showing up from post processing as I tried to cut down the green tint. :beguiled:

_5DX4531 low res.jpg
 
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