Hi, so I went walking today and saw a whole flock of brown-gray birds. They weren't something i've seen before, and they don't show up as a common bird species in my area. They were around the same size as an American Robin, but had the slender bill and body of a flycatcher. The call was a grating trill. I guess there isn't any gender dimorphism, because they all were the same colour. I live in Southern Ontario
Hi, did you realise that you have posted to a UK bird forum? Doubtful anyone on here could be of help in ID-ing your birds!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
I do realise, but there may be a couple people lurking around here;-;
Do you have Starlings where you are?
I have European Starlings. But, they're black, and their body shape/size is not the same.
Not sure if your Starlings breed at the same time of year as ours (ie fledging now) but the juveniles are brown, and are one of the most frequently requested ID's. One of the Cornell University sites may be more helpful, with a more knowledgable North American user base
I was going to mention Juvenile Starlings ... pics here
www.bto.org/.../identifying-young-birds
Also just read that Starlings are considered a pest in Ontario!
Nope, wasn't a Starling. Too bulky, and the birds were a paler, muted brown(plain, too. No markings.)
And yes, they eat all my birdseed.
First of all, if possible, try and get a photo, as descriptions including judging size are extremely difficult to judge.
Secondly, brown-gray birds flying around in a group and with grating trill sounds very much like a Starling (the colour described pretty much nails the colour of juvenile starlings).
Again, try to get a photo, even if its not a great one, as sometimes even the poorest photos are enough to judge a slightly better ID than a description
Regards
Benji