ML501991531
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Observation details
Continuing individual. This bird would appear and disappear with a big group of sparrows under the non-tube feeder. The flock flushed twice, and I couldn't really tell why, but the birds always returned. While present, this bird seemed to alternate between the open area beneath the feeder and the adjacent shrubs; while in the open, which happened pleasantly often, I got prolonged views of the bird. I wanted to savor these unobstructed looks, so I decided to study it closely. Overall, it wasn't terribly dissimilar to the surrounding sparrows, at least in size and shape--all were plump, little neckless passerines with relatively long tails. I think the biggest structural difference was in the bill and relative head size. Anyway, I paid extra attention to the way it moved, trying especially to discern how it traveled on the ground. I think it tended to strut a little more than the other sparrows, but I also saw a lot of overlap in their rapid hops and sudden darting. What did stand out clearly was the tail: it was mostly held upright, and often flicked upwards. In terms of plumage, the back, wings, tail, and most of the head were a uniform shade of greenish, maybe olive brown, with no apparent patterns or markings. On the head, this bird had a vibrant orange median crown-stripe, which was bordered by two dark, well-defined lateral crown-stipes. The throat and malar were white, with a dark malar stripe separating them. Both eyes had a prominent white eye-ring. To me, what stood out most might have been the breast and belly: the underside was white with many contrasting dark streaks running from the breast to the about the flanks--very eye-catching. The bill was pink and fairly thin, basically a warbler bill, and the legs were pink too. I seriously thought the Ovenbird was somewhere in the thrush family. It wasn't until a few hours and several confused minutes on the Birds of the World bird family page that I learned they are classified as warblers. In my defense, one, I don't scroll through the eBird mobile app, I use the search bar, so I rarely get a look at the taxonomic listings there, and two, this bird looks like a thrush! Maybe I'm crazy? Regardless, this was a fantastic bird and I'm glad I made the bike ride to see it.
Technical information
- Camera
- Microphone
- Accessories
- Original file size
- 101.25 MB