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Bird ID Needed
Nov 14, 2018 22:55:55   #
diclam Loc: Red Lake Falls, MN
 
Attached are four photos of a bird that I am having trouble identifying. I have looked in several field guides and online with no luck. I also asked a gal that I thought would know the answer and she claims that it is an immature Pine Siskin. I am pretty sure that that's not correct! This bird is probably about a little larger than a purple finch with the tail much longer. It was searching in the grass and under leaves looking for bugs and such. It was all by itself which is very unsiskin-like. I sent her photos 1 & 2 and asked about the "scissor tail" of this bird. She claims that it is the tips of the wings. In photos 3 & 4 I think that you can clearly distinguish between the wings and the tail. I know that there are a lot of bird experts on this site, so I am asking for your help! In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy the photos of this little guy!!


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Nov 14, 2018 22:59:07   #
diclam Loc: Red Lake Falls, MN
 
I forgot to say that these pictures were taken in Warroad, MN on August 8, 2018.

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Nov 14, 2018 23:19:31   #
IDguy Loc: Idaho
 
Well, if it were in my yard in Idaho, Pine Siskin works for me. I get a lot of them.

Note the comment on notched tail.



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Nov 15, 2018 02:39:58   #
TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA
 
Maybe a female or juvenile Meadowlark?

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Nov 15, 2018 07:05:10   #
MikWar Loc: Chicago, Western Suburbs
 
It also could be a Yellow-rumped Warbler (immature), although I'm not discounting the possibility that it also could be the Pine Sisken as previously suggested.

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Nov 15, 2018 09:27:11   #
diclam Loc: Red Lake Falls, MN
 
IDguy wrote:
Well, if it were in my yard in Idaho, Pine Siskin works for me. I get a lot of them.

Note the comment on notched tail.


Thank you for your input, IDguy! Maybe I am being a little too picky (I have a tendency to do that sometimes), but I have a hard time believing that this is a siskin. The notch in the tail is much greater on this bird, no yellow wing markings, and the way it was searching for food was so uncharacteristic of a siskin leaves me doubting. I guess that I will wait to see if someone comes up with a definitive answer, otherwise I will just have to bite the bullet and call it a siskin! Then about the time I do that someone will say, "that's not a siskin, it's a _ _ _ _ _ _ _"!!! Lol!!

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Nov 15, 2018 09:35:10   #
diclam Loc: Red Lake Falls, MN
 
TheShoe wrote:
Maybe a female or juvenile Meadowlark?


I think that this bird is much smaller, smaller beak, and the Meadowlark has a rounded tail. I had considered that bird too! Thank you, "TheShoe", for stopping by! I will keep pondering!

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Nov 15, 2018 09:35:37   #
bajadreamer Loc: Baja California Sur
 
MikWar wrote:
It also could be a Yellow-rumped Warbler (immature), although I'm not discounting the possibility that it also could be the Pine Sisken as previously suggested.


I agree with immature/ragged Yellow-rumped Warbler. Long tail (a little ragged), foraging alone and on the ground, obvious yellow patch over the rump, suggestion of yellow/orange under wing. When I see Pine Siskens they typically are in groups, have short tails and spend more time in bushes and trees than on the ground. In our area (So Cal) the YRWs are just returning. When spring comes and they are in breeding plumage, they are quite striking and unmistakable.

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Nov 15, 2018 09:53:17   #
diclam Loc: Red Lake Falls, MN
 
MikWar wrote:
It also could be a Yellow-rumped Warbler (immature), although I'm not discounting the possibility that it also could be the Pine Sisken as previously suggested.


I am leaning toward the Yellow-Rumped Warbler as the best candidate, but, again, that tail just doesn't seem to match. You maybe saw my remarks about it being a Siskin in the previous post, Thank you for your input, MikWar!!

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Nov 15, 2018 10:17:38   #
diclam Loc: Red Lake Falls, MN
 
bajadreamer wrote:
I agree with immature/ragged Yellow-rumped Warbler. Long tail (a little ragged), foraging alone and on the ground, obvious yellow patch over the rump, suggestion of yellow/orange under wing. When I see Pine Siskens they typically are in groups, have short tails and spend more time in bushes and trees than on the ground. In our area (So Cal) the YRWs are just returning. When spring comes and they are in breeding plumage, they are quite striking and unmistakable.


I agree with everything that you are saying. Siskins are usually not loners, and do not forage in the grass and leaves like this one was doing. It was acting much more like a warbler in that sense. This bird also has the white slash by the eye and the yellow on the rump like the Butter-Butts (I am not sure if that is only a local name for the YRW?). Again that tail, especially with the distinctive white markings, is a real question mark. It would fan that tail out in a very scissor-like fashion. Thank you for your input "bajadreamer"!!

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Nov 15, 2018 10:37:34   #
Saleavitt10 Loc: Maine
 
Yellow-rumped Warbler!

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Nov 15, 2018 12:30:35   #
diclam Loc: Red Lake Falls, MN
 
That's what I am leaning towards too, but it doesn't seem like a perfect fit either! I was hoping that maybe this bird was out of it normal range and someone from either coast would say " We've got a ton of those birds out here"! Thank you Saleavitt! We were just out in Maine on a tour bus. Went to Acadia. Beautiful country. I wish that we could have stayed longer, but when you are on a tour you go where the bus goes!

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Nov 15, 2018 13:57:21   #
Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona
 
diclam wrote:
I agree with everything that you are saying. Siskins are usually not loners, and do not forage in the grass and leaves like this one was doing. It was acting much more like a warbler in that sense. This bird also has the white slash by the eye and the yellow on the rump like the Butter-Butts (I am not sure if that is only a local name for the YRW?). Again that tail, especially with the distinctive white markings, is a real question mark. It would fan that tail out in a very scissor-like fashion. Thank you for your input "bajadreamer"!!
I agree with everything that you are saying. Sisk... (show quote)


As any birder knows, identifying fall warblers is difficult at best. I am a little concerned that the OP describes it as slightly larger than a Purple Finch but size can be deceptive without a reference. Here is what I know: It is not a Pine Siskin. Here is what I think: It is a Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle race) in a real ratty molt. I think this because first it just "feels" like YRW. The pale throat that extends well back behind the eye along with the light supercilium make it a "Myrtle". The yellow rump is visible in the third picture and suggested in all pictures. The forked tail is, I believe a result of a tail flick at the time the photo and is diagnostic only by showing the large white patch on the tail feather.

Have any other field birders besides me discovered how much harder it is to make a definitive call from a photograph. I had to refer to Warblers by Jon Dunn to be sure about this one. It reminds me of the old days when we used to work with "study skins". Yes, I am old enough to remember when the saying was: "The only sight record that would be accepted by the American Ornithological Union (AOU) was over the sights of a shotgun".

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Nov 15, 2018 17:42:30   #
diclam Loc: Red Lake Falls, MN
 
Again, I agree with everything that you are saying, but that tail seems so out of place! I remember that about 10 shots into my photo shoot with this bird (I took about 40 shots) that I wanted to make sure to get a good angle on the tail of this bird because it was so different. It's one of those things - you had to be there to form your own opinion, I guess! Maybe I have some sort of a cross-bred bird - like a YRW with a Bald Eagle?! LOL!! Thank you for stopping by and giving your opinion!

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Nov 16, 2018 17:47:24   #
Starflyte
 
I have a bird identification app on my iPhone that says it is 99% certain you photographed an American Pipit.
Bob H
Emily Minnesota

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