Help identifying a wild bird? -not sure where this goes-

[vfem]

I can swear its not a mocking bird... mocking birds are 6" and we have TONS of those little $^#& around here. Warblers are common around here over winter. I did read the carolina pine doesn't migrate and the yellow-rumped can be seen in the carolina's from December through March.

The yellow markings you don't see in the picture is a tell tail sign... and the tail shape says its somewhere in the finch/sparrow/warbler family. Its harder to distingish which one because it has in its winter feathering, and its a female! Go figure! LOL

 

[woodmort]

OK it is an American Goldfinch in winter plumage--a lot of people don't recognize them in the winter because of the color change. My SIL insists they all fly south when, in fact, she has dozens at her feeder. They have a habit of coming to a feeder in flocks then suddenly flying away--often in the process they will smack into windows and walls. We rescue a few every winter if we can beat the cats to them. Unfortunately the1947 copy of RTP that I have does not show the winter coloration but I can't locate where our newer edition has gotten to--we have at least 3 bird books around here and all I can find is the antique one. At any rate both sexes look the same in winter.

 

[vfem]

Well I think I am going to go with my initial thoughts on it... I found a woman in durham NC who has MANY photos from 2001 to 2008 and tons of these, and other finches. So I'm going to go with her good observations. We're a wonky state where some things are extremely rare, and others are expected. I used to be good at identifying birds with my grandmother growing up... BUT, I lived in Connecticut outside of Hartford at the time. Totally different regional birds to figure out! House sparrows, several wrens and those mocking birds I have down pat at this time. ANd thanks to you guys I've gotten really good with the water fowl since we have a pond and many odd visitors!

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:
Wiki has the pictures, goldfinch has the wrong beak.

 

[jennh]

Quote:
Here is a pic of a pine warbler in winter. Does this look like your bird?

Jen

http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/320/overview/Pine_Warbler.aspx

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Here is a pic of a pine warbler in winter. Does this look like your bird?

That's it

The white wing bars match​

 

[adubsroit]

I would honestly say that this bird is a Yellow-rumped Warbler. Given the pattern on the wings, the shading on the head and back would lead me to assume that it is a female (?) in her non-breeding plumage. I myself almost agree with the guess that the Pine Warbler is correct, but it lacks patterning on the upper wing. Here are some example:

When in doubt YouTube their calls. A Yellow-rumped Warbler sounds like "a colorless buzzy warble; a sharp chek!" Whereas the Pine Warblers should sound "musical and somewhat melancholy, a soft sweet version of the trill of the Chipping Sparrow." These descriptions are from the Audubon Guides iPod Touch App, made sure that the settings were to to birds sighted in North Carolina, your zip code (based on your BYC location) and birds that are in the area during the month of January.



This is a late-winter Goldfinch male coming into breeding plumage:

This is a Northern Mocking bird, no way that's what this is, their size alone would be a giveaway:

 

[adubsroit]

When in doubt, second opinion:

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Source: Yellow-Rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata

The picture you posted is from a funny angle, but it seems Yellow-rumped is still the answer and specifically the Myrtle [Yellow-rumped] Warbler. Also, note the slight yellow on the outer part of the breast, and the yellow-rump (which the Pine Warbler lacks).

Pine Warbler

 

[vfem]

Quote:
I do completely agree.... I looked through and knew it wasn't a finch right away, but I knew it was in the finch family. And the yellow rumped/myrtle is the only one with that yellow spot right above its tail. Thanks so much for finding even more evidence.

I'm thinking we should start keeping track of the birds we find and see in our yard and garden. Take some photos for my gardening blog. Should be fun.

Anyways.... little miss survivor is doing great this morning, a little ruffled, but still doing good. We're going to release her this afternoon out by the wood in the back yard. She'll be happy!

 

[FireTigeris]

Ok, I was also looking at range and must have misread that yellow rump 'will not overwinter' then again I should have been using the link I posted.

of course your little one my just not have read that.

I know Carolina (pine) Warblres are year-round.