My friend Carolyne has a bird feeder in her backyard, and this past weekend, during the Great Backyard Bird Count, we spotted this unusual-looking bird.
We are in Belmont, California (ZIP code 94002), which is approximately 20 miles south of San Francisco; the area is identified as a Coastal Oak Community.
The "Expert Guide" on this site initially identified it as a House Wren, but the beak looks nothing like that of a House Wren. Perhaps this bird's beak is malformed?
This is a photo of the unusual bird at the feeder; opposite this bird (on the other side of the feeder) is a female House Finch, for comparison. The unusual bird is on the left, "circled" in red. If anyone has any information about this bird, please post a message...we've looked in guides and we're stumped! :-)
Thank you for helping us solve this mystery; we anxiously await your response! :-)
Sincerely,
Danelle and Carolyne
