Help needed

I believe this is th Lesser Goldfinch. Am I correct?

Thanks

Al

If you took the picture from your home location, it would be an American Goldfinch, range shows a Lesser would be from mid TX to west coast.

This photo was taken in Tucson Az.

Thanks Burd

Could be a younger male Lesser Goldfinch not for sure.

Western Tanager? Fits on plumage, but if your guess was Lesser Goldfinch, am I mis-judging the size badly?

Not any sort of goldfinch, they don't show that combination of yellow and black. If definitely too small for Western Tanager, then maybe some sort of escaped cagebird, perhaps a canary of some sort.

Resin

My guess would be male American Goldfinch, head showing winter phase & breast skipping ahead to summer. It would help if we could see the side, it looks like we can see the beginnings of the wing bars that show in both summer and winter. American Goldfinches are fairly common here spring and fall, showing odd cobinations of Summer/Winter colors. The one time I saw Lesser Goldfinches, they were noticably smaller and darker than the American. An escaped hybred finch/canary is a possibility. My sister had one that looked a lot like your picture except he had a rust colored top-knot/toupee.

Sure wish I could see more of it from the side. It sure reminds me on my Goldfinches, though.

But my current Goldfinches are not as brightly yellow as they were in the summer months

Hack

This message was edited Nov 8, 2009 10:27 PM

I've never seen a Goldfinch that didn't have white wing-bars. Also feet and legs are darker and thinner than a Goldfinch's. Don't know what this bird is, but I don't think it's a either species of Goldfinch.

I think I have a side picture of it...I will have to post it when I get home.

Thanks all for the input

Approximately what size is it compared to confidently identified birds? That might help.

I don't have a profile view of this bird. Since I took it in Tucson Az and I will assume it's a lesser goldfinch.

Size of the bird...I have no idea.

Ditto to Resin....Western Tanager

I would have to agree to Western Tanager also, my field guide does not have a picture of a young male but this bird matches up with a male WT (less the red) on the face, which is probably due to his young age, but I have no info. also that the colors may come on during breeding season. But still would say WT.

I agree on the Western Tanager ID. Looks like a first year male. The older they get, the more orange-red their head becomes.

OK now I can see what you guys are saying; I see the orange coming in on the top of the head. I will go with Western Tanager....Thanks

I think the beak looks a little too short (more like a seed-eater thean an insect-eater) but that could be the camera angle; and I think it looks a little too small, but there isn't really a good way to judge size. So I guess it could be a winter or immature male Western Tanager. I admit the legs look more like a Tanager than a Goldfinch.