CLOSED: Bird ID help please

Hi all. I live in Queens, in NYC, have two bird ID questions...

First off, there is one bird I see pretty regularly. I'm quite sure it's a catbird or else a Northern Mockingbird. It's a very pretty slate blue/grey. It has a darker grey strip along the top of his head. He has 'extended' tailfeathers in the back, similar to say a bluejay. Just under his tail feathers...along his 'bottom' I guess...he is like a terra-cotta color. He very much likes blackberries....they are the first thing he goes for among all my other birdseed offerings....

Anyway, I recently noticed something new on this bird....a swelling of feathers at his neck...it almost looks like a 'growth'. I'm guessing this has something to do with mating season...that perhaps he is a male, and that the swelling is to attract a mate? I then noticed this same bird on a branch the other day, when a bird that looked just like him perched on the same branch, the only difference being that THIS bird (female?) had no swelling at her neck like he did. He then turned to her and his whole body puffed up! At this point I thought 'surely this must be a mating thing...how exciting!" I then watched as she flew onto another branch and he would follow. She'd go to another branch, and again he'd follow her. Can you ID this bird and confirm that all the puffiness I saw was indeed related to mating season?

Secondly, for the first time ever I saw a new bird....it was very tiny...not as long as a house finch...it was a bit shorter in length, but more stout. I can't recall the overall color...I think maybe brown or grey, but what I noticed more than anything was the bright lemon yellow color at his neck/breast. In addition, he had a black band that went across his eyes, similar to a 'bandit'.

Any idea?

Thanks!!!

1. Gray Catbird (good description)-cousin to the Mockingbird.
The swelling is a crop full of blackberries

2. male Common Yellowthroat-a Warbler (also good description)

Hi yippee, Gray Catbird. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gray_Catbird/id

This message was edited May 18, 2010 5:29 PM

Thanks very much guys...that's them!

So on the Yellowthroat, I saw that they are normally in this region in the Summer only. So I guess that explains why I hadn't seen him before! :-)