Whatbird.com

When I spotted this bird it was on the power line across the street, along with an Eurasian Collared Dove and a European Starling. When, out of the corner of my eye, I saw it land I first thought EC Dove because that's the color that registered. When I looked at it I saw it was a little larger than the Starling and quite a bit smaller than the Dove. Went for my binocs and the bird started flying toward me so I grabbed the camera instead. It landed near the top of a tree and I barely got these two pics. Really poor, but maybe one of the experts can get a clue from the shape & tail. The brief glimpse I got as it was flying was all light underside color. I've been browsing for a while and need suggestions of birds to look at if no one knows for sure. Thanks as usual!

 

---

Vicki Conklin

Second picture.

 

---

Vicki Conklin

Judging by color and shape, I would say it's an American Goldfinch.

---

Good Luck Birding
Josh

Could be a nonbreeding female American Goldfinch, I was thinking female House Finch, but the tail doesn't quite fit. It is hard to judge from this photo, though.

I think it's an American goldfinch.

---

____________________________________________

"You can cage a bird, but you cannot make him sing."
Andy

Thanks for the suggestions, but there is no way it was a goldfinch. On the power line it was next to an European Starling and was obviously the larger bird - so MUCH larger than a goldfinch. Hopefully it will return and I can get a better picture.

---

Vicki Conklin

I think it kind of looks like a Goldfinch too.

But then again, it is rather large.

Wow - I'm a huge help. 

---

--
~Makachoa~

Could be a phoebe.

Could it be a female Starling?

---

Matthew 6:26

Its too small for a European starling. I was thinking its an American goldfinch also.

Tail is wrong for a starling too.

---

Don't cry because it's over, smile because you were there.

I was thinking cedar waxwing, but the tail isn't usually quite like that.

---

New Additions to Life List: semipalmated plover, prairie warbler, belted kingfisher, ruddy turnstone

It looks just right for a Goldfinch to me.

I am just throwing this out there, maybe the birds it was next to weren't starlings??  I don't know....

Please don't get offended....

---

Good Luck Birding
Josh

I find that size is often very misleading when in the field, and can cause a small bird seem larger than it really is, or vice versa. Was this bird right next to the starling, or a short distance away? Also, if you have a photo showing both the starling and this bird it might be of help.

The only bird that seems to fit, though, is the American Goldfinch. I can't think of a bird larger than a starling with that color and such a deeply notched tail.

A giant goldfinch would be one for the record books, I guess!    As I stated in my original post, the bird was on the power line with the starling and dove. Between them. Larger than the starling. Smaller than the dove. This mystery bird was further away from me than the starling so didn't seem larger because it was closer. The three birds were less than about two apart - total. The mystery bird was closer to the starling. No, I don't have a picture of the two together because as I stated, this bird flew toward me as I was going for my binocs, before I even thought about the camera. If I hadn't seen the birds together I might be tempted to call it a goldfinch, too. I have lots & lots of goldfinches in my yard every day so I DO know what they look like! 

If I was to make a judgement in the size, I would say it would fit between the sizes of the starling and a robin, closer to a robin. Oh, and I don't know how to describe it's flight but it definitely wasn't the quick flight of the goldfinch. It flew slower and smoother, and I could see clearly that the undersides of the wings were light, but I can't get a picture in my head of the shape.

When I enlarged the photo of the bird itself to about 8 inches, printed it and drew an outline, the beak appears to be heavy and cone shaped.

Tomorrow I get my new camera so I'll just plan on the bird coming back and posing for a few pictures!

Thanks again, everybody.

---

Vicki Conklin