Hi Earl, To be honest with you, I really wasn't paying that much attention to the bill (an amatuer's mistake) but I think it was short & conical. The colors like the pine warbler were on the underside of the bird (the breast & below), a muted yellow. I was so busy trying to figure out a pattern to the white markings on the wings below the one bar so I could describe it that I really didn't take as much time with the other things as I should have. As I said there was really no pattern to the white markings under the bar, they were just like "smudges" or "streaks" is the best way I can describe them. When the bird turned it's back to me, there was DEFINITELY an elongated solid white rectangle formed by the white on the wings that seemed to run down the middle of it's back. The head was a darker color but I couldn't give you an exact color yet of what that color was. Unfortunately, I don't have a digital camera or one with a telephoto lens but I'll try to get a pic & get it developed, I have a scanner I can use to send a pic. I'm also positive about the dark line behind the eye. I'm also positive about the size, there was a titmouse there at the same time eating the seeds only inches away from the bird and they were extremely close in size, I got an excellent comparison there. Other than the bill, and the color of the head and back above the wings, I'm absolutely sure about everything else. I'm hoping it will come back today, it's only been here once a day twice in 2 weeks (or at least that's all I've seen it). Just an FYI note: the feeder is on my balcony so when I sit in my chair to watch the birds @ the feeder, I'm only 10 - 12 feet away from them on the other side of the glass sliding doors. Thanks so much to you and everyone else who is trying to help, this little guy seems to be a stumper! Have a great day! Steven in Stone Mtn.

Earl Horn <budhorn@bellsouth.net> wrote:Steven

Having a single American Goldfinch would not be that unusual, even if they do usually keep in flocks in the winter. I'm struggling with the rest of your description though, since no bird that I can think of would fit especially with a black eye-line as you describe.

If it is really the same size as a titmouse, then it is too big to be a goldfinch. You said it has the same muted colors as a Pine Warbler, but are you talking about the yellow underneath an adult male Pine Warbler, the underneath of a female or young Pine Warbler or the green on the upperside of any of the Pine Warblers. Depending on what you meant to be the upper and under side colors the only somewhat reasonable birds with black wings that I can think of are goldfinch, Evening Grosbeak, Baltimore Oriole, or Scarlet Tanager. But none of these would have a black line behind the eye as you describe.

A little more description of the other colors, upper side and under side on the bird would be helpful, as well as a description of the bill. Is it long and pointed like a oriole, short and conical like a finch, or short and thin like a warbler. Any other details would be helpful and if you have a digital camera and can get a picture of it would really be helpful.

This isn't annoying to veteran birders at all. I enjoy helping others figure out a new bird as much as discovering one myself.

Best regards,

Earl Horn Lawrenceville, Ga

----- Original Message ----- From: "Steven" To: Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 2:16 PM Subject: [GABO-L] Need ID help please

> I have what I think is a single goldfinch coming to the feeder but I'm not sure. The bird is the same size as a tufted titmouse, with the same muted color as the pine warblers. The wings however, are a solid black with a single white bar about halfway down the wing. Below the white bar is just what I would describe as a "cluster" of white markings (no real distinct patterns, such as a bar) and when seen from the back, the white forms a solid rectangle down the middle of the back. The black is very dark black and all the white markings are very bright. Now what's throwing me off - behind the eye is a black line about half an inch to an inch long, none of my field guides show or describe this line behind the eye and don't show enough wing markings to let me know if this is indeed a goldfinch. They also say goldfinches are usually found in groups and this one is solitary. I saw him for only a couple seconds about 2 weeks ago (so briefly I couldn't tell anything about it except for the > black wings with some bright white markings) and didn't see it again until this morning when I finally get get a good long detailed look at it. I know this is probably annoying to the veteran birders and I apologize but I'm just confused because the last goldfinch I saw before this was last spring and it was much smaller, fatter, and brighter than this bird and I don't remember seeing any line behind the eye of that one. Thanks in advance for any help you can give. > > Steven Hoover > Stone Mtn., Ga. > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term' > > ********** > To search GABO-L archives or manage your subscription, go to > http://www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/gabo-l.html > > To contact a listowner, send message to > GABO-L-request@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU > > To view GABO-L information/guidelines, go to > http://www.gos.org/gabo.html >

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