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ID help please!

Discussion

4 replies
Posted by John Tobias on September 14, 2013 at 8:42 PM
ID help please!
Took this slightly OFF shot on Sept. 9 in central Illinois. My guess is an immature gold finch or indigo bunting. Thanks for your time.
Posted by Richard Ditch on September 14, 2013 at 9:00 PM
The shape of the beak makes me think this is a Brown-headed Cowbird.
Posted by Colleen Tillett on September 15, 2013 at 5:05 AM
I would have thought Grosbeak.
Posted by Jim DeWitt on September 16, 2013 at 12:22 AM
I'm with Richard on this one: immature/hatch year Brown-headed Cowbird. The bill isn't heavy enough for a Grosbeak, and that species would be out of range where you are.
Posted by Brian Gatlin on September 16, 2013 at 8:40 AM
A few things here trouble me as far as this being a juvie cowbird. A young cowbird has a very streaky breast, and would also show pale edges on the wing coverts. It doesn't look like a female cowbird to me either. The hint of blue in the breast makes me think that this is a bunting (Indigo, by range).