ID this Bird
Reader Nan has sent in this photo asking to ID what it is. I think I know what it is, but since I have so much fun trying to id birds, I thought I would let everybody have a crack at it. Can you ID this bird--and this time we can do it in the comments section--how exciting!
posted by birdchick at 6:59 PM
15 Comments:
Oh, come on now, Sharon, you have to give us more to go on than that! How about some geographical assistance??
I'm a little more brave. I say
it's a Black-billed Cuckoo regardless of location.
Rock on, Cinnamon!!!
Well I gave it a quick glance and my first reaction was a Mangrove Cuckoo seen some where in southern Florida.
Going out on a limb...is Nan from Oklahoma? I will say: Scissor-tail.
The bird was photographed in central Minnesota.
Cuckoo, but I do not believe there is enough information in the photo - at least not as posted - to be certain if it is Black-billed or Yellow-billed. Certainly I see no yellow, but given the angle, with the bill end-on, that does not seem sufficient to rule out Yellow-billed.
I'm also leaning toward black-billed cuckoo.
Great site by the way!
-Dave Williams
Uh... yup. Looks like a cuckoo.
(Notice how I wait for the real experts to chime in before attemping my feeble-minded guess.)
Okay, I feel a little dumb...I thought the line coming out from the tail WAS the tail. That does make it look sorta like a scissor-tail, right? Right?
A Nony Mous could be right...it could be a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. But Black-billed are actually a tad bit more common in Minnesota and are often a little darker on the back along the lines of this one in the photo, so I'm sticking with my original guess of Black-billed Cuckoo.
Unless Nan and Bird Chick are fooling us with a freakin' MOCKINGBIRD!
Rock on, Cinnamon!!
It is for sure a cuckoo. I think it's a black-billed cuckoo because I think I can see a hint of red around the eyes from the image on my computer. It's tough to say though, with the bird's position.
Also, the back of the bird appears to have an olive wash and when I've seen yellow-bills (more so when I lived in Indiana than now in Minnesota) they have a more cinnamon brown to the feathers.
I'm sayin' black-billed.
Is anyone up for some Aussie birds? I've been sent some pretty cool raptor photos from there that say sea eagle but the face doesn't look like an eagle to me. However, what do I know about Aussie birds.
Should we give it a go?
I can still barely get Minnesota birds... I'm definitely not ready to attempt Aussie (except for easy things like ostrich & cassowary.)
Nice job on the photo name, BTW. Made me laugh!
~the other Sharon
Nan - do you have a higher resolution image.
Please send to lsirvio@yahoo.com
Lack of any rufous in the wings and delicate, thin-based bill which lacks any yellow on the mandible point to black-billed cuckoo for me. I have some truly awful fall warbler shots I may inflict--this is fun!
Fall warbler shots? Now that's just mean!
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