Bird ID please- found in Tucson/designated wetlands: This is a round chunky bird - not large but larger than a sparrow or finch type. Not in my Az bird book- thanks for your help-...

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

This is a round chunky bird - not large but larger than a sparrow or finch type.
Not in my Az bird book- thanks for your help-

CaptainBobBrown

This might be a rock wren. See pp 23 of New Mexico Bird Finding Guide for sketch. Mine is 3rd Edition published by New Mexico Ornithological Society. Occurs throughout New Mexico so might be found in Arizona as well.

fyrlife

In San Diego we have a bird called a Ridgeway or Clapper Rail that looks exactly like this. He may be lost due to El Nino!

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

fyrlife wrote:

In San Diego we have a bird called a Ridgeway or Clapper Rail that looks exactly like this. He may be lost due to El Nino!

I see similarities although he wasn't so long and sleek looking. He may have been puffed out. He was the only one of that kind there. Just pecking along the ground looking for dinner. Thanks for responding.

fyrlife

You're welcome. I am not up on my Arizona birds, just gave it a shot! Good luck. Always fun to capture something unusual.

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

CaptainBobBrown wrote:

This might be a rock wren. See pp 23 of New Mexico Bird Finding Guide for sketch. Mine is 3rd Edition published by New Mexico Ornithological Society. Occurs throughout New Mexico so might be found in Arizona as well.

I found the Rock Wren in my Az book- Hmm not sure- the Rock Wren has a long tail and this one has hardly any tail. Maybe he is a hybrid :) Thanks for looking.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

Google the phrase "photo bird id" and you'll get to Cornell University's Merlin project. They can identify over 400 North American birds. Upload a file of 4mb or less and follow directions. Good luck.

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

Mr PC wrote:

Google the phrase "photo bird id" and you'll get to Cornell University's Merlin project. They can identify over 400 North American birds. Upload a file of 4mb or less and follow directions. Good luck.

That was an interesting website with a whole lot of choices at the end that included a goose, a tropical bird, a mallard and a sandpiper :) I have concluded that it is of the sandpiper genre. Thanks for the link.

Haydon

suntouched wrote:

That was an interesting website with a whole lot of choices at the end that included a goose, a tropical bird, a mallard and a sandpiper :) I have concluded that it is of the sandpiper genre. Thanks for the link.

That's because the angle of the bird iin your shot with it being mostly backlit hampered a more intuitive result. I've used it successfully many times. Also a key part is when you click on the tail and in your image it's virtually in shadow.

Jana-TAS Loc: Washington

Mom & Dad have a place down in AZ so I have the State book. Just got it out from the camera case & looked through the book and don't see any bird that matches. The Rock Wren has a smaller and black beak.

mickley Loc: Schenectady NY

suntouched wrote:

This is a round chunky bird - not large but larger than a sparrow or finch type.
Not in my Az bird book- thanks for your help-

The feet seem a bit oversized, so it might be a juvenile. And juveniles sometimes don't look a lot like their parents.

fyrlife

This bird is most definitely NOT a Rock Wren. See Clapper or Ridgeway rail or some type of Rail.

prcb1949 Loc: Ex Zimbabwe - Now UK

suntouched wrote:

This is a round chunky bird - not large but larger than a sparrow or finch type.
Not in my Az bird book- thanks for your help-

My guess is that its an adult Virginia Rail or a clapper Rail

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

I reached into my clue bag, which was mostly empty for this bird, but given the very minimal tail and questionable fullness of the wings, I would suspect that it is a fledgling of some species, which would make it typical to not look quite like the adults. Did you see it fly?

prcb1949 Loc: Ex Zimbabwe - Now UK

suntouched wrote:

I see similarities although he wasn't so long and sleek looking. He may have been puffed out. He was the only one of that kind there. Just pecking along the ground looking for dinner. Thanks for responding.

The gray grey face and white eyebrow is diagnostic - without a doubt it is a rail but the shot does not reveal enough of the bird to be more definitive. The clapper is quite a large rail - this rail appears to be on the smallish size. i would still go with virginia rail the dark patch beneath the eye and the dark crown are also significant !