What is this - a cowbird?

Twil 29/08/2021 09:39

just spotted this for the second time in my garden. Apologies for the zoomed in picture quality.

A quick google suggests a North American Cowbird?

I’m in Nottingham UK

0 Germain 29/08/2021 10:54

Hi Twil, at this time of year young Starlings like to confuse people by changing their matt brown feathers for their glorious spangles and they leave the heads til last - so I would say it's a mid moult juvenile Starling

Cin J
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0 Linda257 29/08/2021 10:57

I thought it was Blackbird ;-/

(Pardon the Scottish Accent)
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0 Mike B 29/08/2021 10:59

I'm tempted to say juvenile male blackbird, losing the juvenile plumage with a nice black plumage from the neck onward.

We've a few here in the same stage of moult. The link below takes you to a photo of mine with a juvenile blackbird going through the moult into adult plumage'

https://www.flickr.com/photos/peak-rambler/51351983061/

Mike

Flickr: Peak Rambler
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0 pszmrh 29/08/2021 11:04

The posture is right for a blackbird as well, looks like when they run along the ground with their head down, then stop to sense any movement, then back again to running.
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0 rspbailey 29/08/2021 11:11

Seeing a 'rare' bird is very, well, 'rare' so it's best to always think of the most common answer first and then rule that out and then go for the second most common answer and then rule that out etc etc

Google is not your friend when searching for a bird as it will undoubtedly show birds from all over the world - and some that are part of a web page and not necessarily that bird at all - so when searching make sure to enter your own country first and then visit the web page to check it out and not just except the image shown.

Hope that helps as it's quite easy to get excited when seeing a different looking bird - we've all been there.
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0 Mike B 29/08/2021 11:32 in reply to rspbailey

rspbailey said:
Seeing a 'rare' bird is very, well, 'rare' so it's best to always think of the most common answer first and then rule that out and then go for the second most common answer and then rule that out etc etc

Google is not your friend when searching for a bird as it will undoubtedly show birds from all over the world - and some that are part of a web page and not necessarily that bird at all - so when searching make sure to enter your own country first and then visit the web page to check it out and not just except the image shown.

Hope that helps as it's quite easy to get excited when seeing a different looking bird - we've all been there.

Very true about any search engine on the web.

I always use UK based books first, and if I need to do a web search, I'll always add UK ID to enhance UK species, but again, its not foolproof.

Mike

Flickr: Peak Rambler
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0 HAZY 29/08/2021 11:36

I'd say male blackbird in mid moult process with new head feathers being the last to appear.

_________________________________________________________________________

Regards, Hazel
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0 Twil 29/08/2021 11:52

Thank you. The beak didn’t look like that Cowbird! It is the same size of a blackbird and moves in a similar way.

I didn’t trust Google so I’m glad I posted on here
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0 Germain 29/08/2021 15:54

I really must stop using my phone for IDs - cracked screen not helping - Just looked on laptop and as the others say Blackbird

Cin J
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0 Seaman 29/08/2021 18:34

If you get a Cowbird in your garden you will make a fortune selling tea and cakes to the mass of twitchers you will get

Pete

Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
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