There were a lot of these birds hanging out in our back yard and I thought at first they were Grackles. By the time there was only one bird left, I realized they were smaller and didn't have that glossy black sheen to the feathers, so I managed to get a couple of shots. Can anybody help with an ID?
The only thing I could come up with was a Rusty Blackbird female or immature, but I could be totally wrong.
Resin will know what it is, though.
By-the-way, very nice shot!
Thank you! Stop action has never been my long-suit, but the camera surprises me sometimes. Hoping we'll get a response with the ID.
Hello out there to the bird ID gurus! I heard that Resin will know what bird this is. I've been camping in the back yard, hoping for a return visit from my mystery companion so that I might get a better photo. He (she) has not come back, so I'm re-posting my appeal.
Check out this link for e-nature.com and click on both Rusty Blackbird and Common Grackle. You can read about them and listen to their songs to see if either one sounds like your bird. The pictures they have may not resemble your bird, but there are different stages of feather color.
The reason why I even mention a Grackle is because the immature is mostly brown with dark wings.
By the way, this is a wonderful site. If you go to the home page you'll notice you can look up all kinds of Birds, Mammals, Reptiles and more.
http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/view_default.asp?curGroupID=1&shape=961&color=869&color=872&size=466&habitat=995&habitat=989&habitat=1000&habitat=987&curRegionID=2208&Submit=Search
Thanks for the website link! It will be a great help. It seems like the rusty blackbirds I see in photos have much more bulbous eyes than my little guy, but it's the best match I've seen. And their call matches up as well, unlike the common grackle who sounds like a rusty hinge. I appreciate your help!
Glad the link was some help to you.
Apparently Resin is away for a while. He's usually the best person for definitive IDs. His knowledge is quite incredible
Resin, if you see this post, don't go getting a big head :-)
It's not a Rusty Blackbird, the bill is too stout for that - they have slender bills compared to other Icteridae species.
Still tyring to decide what it is; whatever the species, it is a juvenile moulting into adult male plumage.
Resin
Hey Resin...we've missed you!!
