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Screeching, aggressive bird


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#1 alexalgebra

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Posted 15 July 2012 - 02:58 AM

Hello!

I have been trying for a week to figure out what kind of bird is in my tree, but I am at a loss. I'm a very novice birder, just like to ID what's in my yard.

There are couple of birds that I haven't been able to get a full-on look at that live in a tree in my yard. They are incredibly noisy, mostly in the morning and a little before dusk. The sounds are a godawful screeching baby-strangling sort of noise, and when they make the screams, their whole body flutters. It seems like it's some kind of aggressive display against the bluebirds that are also in the tree.

From what I can tell, the birds are white underneath and darker on top - kind of a greyish/brown, and the wings seem to be darker and maybe iridescent at the tips. They are chubby/fluffy and have a medium long beak.

Thank you!!!

#2 Aveschapines

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Posted 15 July 2012 - 03:06 AM

Where are you? Did you get an idea of how big the birds are?

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#3 Melissa :)

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Posted 15 July 2012 - 03:12 AM

Maybe Northern Mockingbird??
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#4 fisherman1313

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Posted 15 July 2012 - 03:12 AM

Welcome to the sight, Alex (that's an interesting last name, by the way). Although the description doesn't quite fit, the behavior sounds like European Starling.

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#5 Liam

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Posted 15 July 2012 - 06:22 PM

Welcome to Whatbird! They sound like juveniles, probably mockingbirds. Location can help narrow down possibilities.
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#6 alexalgebra

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Posted 15 July 2012 - 07:28 PM

Ah - sorry, I'm in Portland, OR. The birds are smallish and pretty fluffy/chubby, like the size of a medium orange with a head, tail, and legs.

#7 Liam

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Posted 15 July 2012 - 07:50 PM

Okay, that's out of range for mockingbird. Black-billed Magpie seems like a good option.
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#8 jeffroscoe

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Posted 16 July 2012 - 04:08 AM

Okay, that's out of range for mockingbird. Black-billed Magpie seems like a good option.


I usually don't get involved with ID's, especially without a picture, but a Black-billed Magpie would be very, very unusual on the west side of the Cascade Mountains, so I doubt that's it. But.......I got no idea, otherwise.

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