Help Me Identify a Bird

Re: Brewer's or Rusty Blackbird?

syncrasy — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 04:11:13 GMT

Location: n.e. Illinois, July 2. (I didn't give the location originally so as not to prejudice responses since Rusty is uncommon here in summer.)

But I think you're right about juv. Starling. I can't believe I didn't even look at that page in my books or that I wouldn't have recognized the shape (although it was far away). In fact there were other birds with it that had a pale gray head and dark eye line, plus the reddish wings -- which would be consistent with Starling plumage "in between" young juvenile and molting juvenile as shown in Sibley (i.e., before acquiring the spots).

Thanks!

Re: Brewer's or Rusty Blackbird?

PoorMatty — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:30:46 GMT

Looks rather like a juvenile starling to me, but I agree, a location (including habitat) and date would help.

Re: Brewer's or Rusty Blackbird?

RJP — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:24:31 GMT

This is where location and date can really help. When and where was the pic taken?

Brewer's or Rusty Blackbird?

syncrasy — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:39:34 GMT

Excuse the poor photos (but if I had a better one I wouldn't be asking)... I believe this is either a female Brewer's or Rusty Blackbird, but it seems to have qualities of both: Gray-brown body and possible dark eye (Brewer's) with reddish-brown in the wings (Rusty). No obvious iridescence. Presumably the dark eye rules out Rusty, but the reddish-brown wing coloring is not depicted for Brewer's in any of my guide books. Thoughts? Natural variation for Brewer's?