Posted by OhioGuy on July 15, 2009, 12:45 pm
An unusual looking bird was outside about half an hour ago, eating the cat
food that I put out by a raised bed near our North Star cherry tree. I've
never seen one of these before here in SW Ohio, so I thought I would post a
picture to see if anyone else recognizes it.
At first I thought it was a grey jay, then I thought perhaps a kingfisher,
but neither of those lives around here. Then I thought perhaps a northern
raven, but those are usually darker, much larger, and don't have the grey
slash on the side. After looking at the photos, I realized that what I had
thought was a crest was actually a humpback of some kind. It is one of the
wierder looking birds I've seen around here.
It is grey in color, roughly 11-13" long including the tail, and has a
white or light grey mark at the top of the wing. It also has what I would
describe as a huge hump, with the head down below. Head itself is a darker
black color.
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/5789/mysterybird.jpg
Please take a look, and thanks!
Posted by Bill who putters on July 15, 2009, 11:51 am
> An unusual looking bird was outside about half an hour ago, eating the cat
> food that I put out by a raised bed near our North Star cherry tree. I've
> never seen one of these before here in SW Ohio, so I thought I would post a
> picture to see if anyone else recognizes it.
>
> At first I thought it was a grey jay, then I thought perhaps a kingfisher,
> but neither of those lives around here. Then I thought perhaps a northern
> raven, but those are usually darker, much larger, and don't have the grey
> slash on the side. After looking at the photos, I realized that what I had
> thought was a crest was actually a humpback of some kind. It is one of the
> wierder looking birds I've seen around here.
>
> It is grey in color, roughly 11-13" long including the tail, and has a
> white or light grey mark at the top of the wing. It also has what I would
> describe as a huge hump, with the head down below. Head itself is a darker
> black color.
>
> http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/5789/mysterybird.jpg
>
>
> Please take a look, and thanks!
First thought a cat bird but the skull is weird.
I'd post over in Rec.birds
Bill
--
Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA
http://prototype.nytimes.com/gst/articleSkimmer/
Posted by Pat Kiewicz on July 16, 2009, 6:33 am
OhioGuy said:
> An unusual looking bird was outside about half an hour ago, eating the
cat
>food that I put out by a raised bed near our North Star cherry tree. I've
>never seen one of these before here in SW Ohio, so I thought I would post
a
>picture to see if anyone else recognizes it.
> At first I thought it was a grey jay, then I thought perhaps a kingfisher,
>but neither of those lives around here. Then I thought perhaps a northern
>raven, but those are usually darker, much larger, and don't have the grey
>slash on the side. After looking at the photos, I realized that what I had
>thought was a crest was actually a humpback of some kind. It is one of the
>wierder looking birds I've seen around here.
> It is grey in color, roughly 11-13" long including the tail, and has a
>white or light grey mark at the top of the wing. It also has what I would
>describe as a huge hump, with the head down below. Head itself is a
darker
>black color.
>http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/5789/mysterybird.jpg
Young grackle with warble fly larva in its neck, maybe.
In any case, I think that's a young grackle with a problem/deformity.
--
Pat in Plymouth MI
"So, it was all a dream."
"No dear, this is the dream, you're still in the cell."
email valid but not regularly monitored
Posted by brooklyn1 on July 16, 2009, 8:22 am
> OhioGuy said:
>>
>>
>> An unusual looking bird was outside about half an hour ago, eating the
> cat
>>food that I put out by a raised bed near our North Star cherry tree. I've
>>never seen one of these before here in SW Ohio, so I thought I would post
> a
>>picture to see if anyone else recognizes it.
>>
>> At first I thought it was a grey jay, then I thought perhaps a
>> kingfisher,
>>but neither of those lives around here. Then I thought perhaps a northern
>>raven, but those are usually darker, much larger, and don't have the grey
>>slash on the side. After looking at the photos, I realized that what I
>>had
>>thought was a crest was actually a humpback of some kind. It is one of
>>the
>>wierder looking birds I've seen around here.
>>
>> It is grey in color, roughly 11-13" long including the tail, and has a
>>white or light grey mark at the top of the wing. It also has what I would
>>describe as a huge hump, with the head down below. Head itself is a
> darker
>>black color.
>>
>>http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/5789/mysterybird.jpg
>>
> Young grackle with warble fly larva in its neck, maybe.
> In any case, I think that's a young grackle with a problem/deformity.
Looks like a young cowbird.
http://www.birdzilla.com/images/stories/450images/brown-headed-cowbird-m450.jpg
Or: http://hca.gilead.org.il/ugly_duc.html
Posted by Pat Kiewicz on July 17, 2009, 6:33 am
brooklyn1 said:
september.org...
>> OhioGuy said:
>>>
>>>http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/5789/mysterybird.jpg
>>>
>>
>> Young grackle with warble fly larva in its neck, maybe.
>>
>Looks like a young cowbird.
>http://www.birdzilla.com/images/stories/450images/brown-headed-
cowbird-m450.jpg
Beak is far too narrow (especially the lower mandible) for a cowbird,
and the bird's overall length too long, going by the tray size.
The upper back and neck is the area where you are most likely to
find warbles (botfly larvae) as those areas are the hardest for the
victim to groom. A number of the rabbits I've trapped have had
warbles on their necks.
--
Pat in Plymouth MI
"So, it was all a dream."
"No dear, this is the dream, you're still in the cell."
email valid but not regularly monitored
XML site map
> food that I put out by a raised bed near our North Star cherry tree. I've
> never seen one of these before here in SW Ohio, so I thought I would post a
> picture to see if anyone else recognizes it.
>
> At first I thought it was a grey jay, then I thought perhaps a kingfisher,
> but neither of those lives around here. Then I thought perhaps a northern
> raven, but those are usually darker, much larger, and don't have the grey
> slash on the side. After looking at the photos, I realized that what I had
> thought was a crest was actually a humpback of some kind. It is one of the
> wierder looking birds I've seen around here.
>
> It is grey in color, roughly 11-13" long including the tail, and has a
> white or light grey mark at the top of the wing. It also has what I would
> describe as a huge hump, with the head down below. Head itself is a darker
> black color.
>
> http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/5789/mysterybird.jpg
>
>
> Please take a look, and thanks!