This little bird showed up in my backyard last August. I have never seen it before (but hope I do again). There appeared to be a pair but I'm not sure. It is tiny, about the size of a goldfinch. Sorry for the quality of picture but I ran to grab my camera and take the picture before it disappeared. It was hard to find in the brush again and I only got two shots before it flew. I'm in southern California (south Orange County).
That's a Scaly-breasted Munia, Lonchura punctulata also known as Nutmeg Mannikin or Spice Finch. Native to SE Asia-Australia. No chance it flew to your house from there; These guys are very popular cage-birds.
Note:Not related to the New-World Manikins (different spelling).
Thanks! With your information, I was able to look them up and find that there have been flocks of fifteen or more at feeders here in Orange County ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaly-breasted_Munia ) I wonder if I put up a regular finch feeder rather than the upside-down goldfinch feeder if the Munias will congregate in my backyard? :-) Then again, maybe they know how to hang upside down like the goldfinches. The problem with the regular finch feeder is that house finches get really aggressive and chase the other birds away.
Now, if we could just coax some cardinals this way (I miss my cardinals from Texas).
Oooo, cute.
Not a good idea to encourage introduced species like this . . . look at the problems you also get with House Sparrows and Starlings where they are not native.
Resin
My exact thought Resin! Could be another curse down the road.
Naa....What could happen?
Response to a recent Bird ID thread...by that old guy down in Florida:
In the 1890's, Eugene Schieffelin decided to release into the United States all of the birds mentioned in the works of Shakespeare. Starting with only a few pairs of European starlings released in New York's Central Park, the starling became Mr. Schieffelin's biggest success. Living in large flocks, starlings have become one of the most abundant and widespread birds in America.
http://www.planecrashinfo.com/w19601004.htm
I realize the possible detriment of new species to a foreign environment but if they are already here, what can you do other than trap and kill them. Unless someone has irrefutable evidence that they are harmful to the environment here, I would oppose such measures. So since they are here, I will enjoy them. When you say "not a good idea to encourage", do you mean to not put out feeders that are normally put out here? I don't know of any special feeders for Munias. I know some people object to bird feeders of any kind.
