Can anyone confirm the ID for me. My wife and I have spent several years building our garden and have established a certified wildlife habitat which includes a special feeding and watering area for our feathered friends. We are attracting lots of birds but we know so little about them that except for the bright red cardinals and bluebirds (not even sure if they are blue jays) we've no idea what's back there but we love seeing them.
indianaguy,looks like it might be a pine warbler,its bill is longer than a sparrows.A great refrence guide is the stokes field guide to birds,to help you identify your feathered freinds,I use mine all the time !!!!
Looks like a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher to me
When was the photo taken? They should only be in IN in the summer
Resin
Photo was taken a week or so ago.
I stand corrected,I was bad didnt look far enough,iam always learning too !!!
I checked the bird files and one under blue gray gnatcatcher sure does look like mine. But my wife says they have been here through most of the winter.
resin, do you spose they are maybe staying all winter now like a few of our robins do ??? tamara
The curved beak doesn't look right for a gnatcatcher, but the rest of the bird fits. ???
I think resin got it right, looks like the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in my field guide including the curved bill and white outer tail feathers, just a little fluffed up to stay warm.
I want to say Gnatcatcher, but like Reddirt said the (curved-bill) and they should be down south like Resin said, wondering how big the bird is compared to say a Robin? Northern Mockingbird maybe?
Edited for spelling
This message was edited Feb 20, 2010 12:17 PM
My first thought was Mockingbird also...but I'm wrong so much of the time.
That white eye-ring is not present on the Mockingbird nor the white buff on the breast.. and the bill is a little too curved for a Mockingbird, Ive went through my field guide and its not helping. If you could indianaguy....re-post this in our bird Id forum it may get more answer's. I,m at a loss right now. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/birdid/all/
Edited to add link to the Bird Identification Discussion Forum
This message was edited Feb 20, 2010 12:30 PM
HuggerGirl, I took your advice and ordered a used copy of the Stokes guide on Amazon for 4 bucks including shipping. Cool ! Didn't they do a TV show on PBS years ago?
Changing my mind to Mockingbird too after seeing the second pic (in the ident forum)
Resin
indianaguy,I dont remember,wouldnt suprise me.I love watching pbs always interesting.i use the dirt out of my stokes field guide,had another hard back birding book ,gave it to my 5yr old grandson,he is into birds and feeding them,after i took him some old birds and blooms mags,he has a subscription now and also garden gate mag.your bird sanctuary sounds wonderful .
Looks like a hunched down Mockingbird to me, surveying his territory.
Carla
I think this is a cold and fluffed up mockingbird. I'd be able to do better if he was on a feeder or fence where I could get a size reference.
