Brewer's Blackbird

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   I think I had a female cowbird in one of my small feeders recently.

The feint lateral throat-stipe and the whitish throat seemed to incate a female cowbird.  The flatish head shape of the bird somehow reminded me of a grasshoppper sparrow and so at first I was excited.  It could have looked more flat too as the bird was hunkered down under a cover.

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Jan Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Nestling Joined: 01 January 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 26	Post Options Post Reply Quote Jan Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Brewer's Blackbird Posted: 27 December 2009 at 11:39am
	I think I had a female cowbird in one of my small feeders recently. The feint lateral throat-stipe and the whitish throat seemed to incate a female cowbird. The flatish head shape of the bird somehow reminded me of a grasshoppper sparrow and so at first I was excited. It could have looked more flat too as the bird was hunkered down under a cover.
	Jan

lannersaker Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Eagle Joined: 01 May 2005 Location: NE Ohio Online Status: Offline Posts: 193	Post Options Post Reply Quote lannersaker Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 23 December 2009 at 12:18pm
	Agreed, Merry Christmas to rarebirders! Second Brian and Gabe's comments on the cowbird. I can see where the bird looks Brewer's-ish. Note that female and immature cowbirds are hands down one of the most "shape-shifting" birds we have (oddly enough, female Red-winged Blackbird is, as well). I've had distant views of immature bland-brown cowbirds that have seemingly at-momentary-glance looked like female Indigo Buntings or immature Blue Grosbeaks...if you catch my drift. best of birding all & cheers jen
	LOCAL PATCH BIRDING Ohio-based guided birding trips to top local hotspot destinations. ID workshops, custom tours and young birder programs. elfin_skimmer@hotmail.com

Mark & Sherry Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Eagle Joined: 11 May 2004 Location: South Toledo Online Status: Offline Posts: 1192	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mark & Sherry Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 23 December 2009 at 5:27am
	Thanks for the input you guys. You’re probably right. My first guess on this bird was cowbird. Looking at Sibley’s let me hope for something better. Mark

ammodramus Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Fledgling Joined: 18 November 2007 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 91	Post Options Post Reply Quote ammodramus Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 December 2009 at 10:30pm
	I would tend to agree with Brian. While the picture appears quite dark on my computer, there are several other things to look at here. The bill appears conical/triangular, better suited for cowbird. The tail appears to be slightly rounded at the edges and some faint streaks show up on the back. And the bird's overall posture just has more of that cowbird "feel" - compact and hunched. Ah, I wish it were so easy... Hopefully, I'm wrong too, as I've put in considerable effort seeking (and missing!) this species in the state this year. Merry Christmas all! - Gabe

Brian Zwiebel Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Eagle Joined: 28 January 2004 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 703	Post Options Post Reply Quote Brian Zwiebel Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 December 2009 at 8:00pm
	Hi Mark and Sherry. I'm no blackbird expert (proof positive, my CBC team only scored Red-winged Blackbird for our entire area Sunday) but I think this is a female Cowbird. I think a male Brewer's would show some amount of a light colored eye, a female Brewer's would have a dark eye but I believe more of a greenish color? I hate going by coloration for ID in photos because the camera can sometimes fail to render things exactly as we saw in the field. So, on things other than color, female Brewer's might show a more defined light line above the eye. Slightly thinner bill and slightly longer tail may give more slender overall appearance. I'm referencing Peterson's eastern guide as I type this. I hope I'm totally wrong and would be happy to hear other takes on this one. Merry Christmas and Good Birding! BZ
	Brian Zwiebel Bird Photography Portfolio

Mark & Sherry Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Eagle Joined: 11 May 2004 Location: South Toledo Online Status: Offline Posts: 1192	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mark & Sherry Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 22 December 2009 at 3:59pm
	A Brewer's Blackbird has been seen the last several days at the Wildwood Metropark window on wildlife. Look for it with a flock of House sparrows feeding from the ground under the hopper feeder nearest the Observation bee hive. Mark Plessner
	Posted by Mark & Sherry From a little white house in South Toledo.