What the heck kinda bird is this?

Roxanne · Post by **Roxanne** » Aug 25, 2006 1:13 pm

I was out in the yard this morning and a bird behind me was raising a huge fuss. I turned around, and it flew into the gazebo. I looked, and it had a bright red-orange chest with a matching beak. The beak suggests it eats nuts and seeds, but all the feathers are gone around it's neck, so it looks really wierd! It kept squawking, so I went in and got the camera, came outside, and it flew to a tiki torch. I got a pic or two (kinda blurry). Next thing, I look down and here's a baby. Same beak. So I took a baby pic as well.
Anybody know what it is?? I have never seen a bird like this around here.

caliloo · Post by **caliloo** » Aug 25, 2006 2:05 pm

I have no idea, but something that colorful looks like it might be an escaped tropical pet.

I wonder if the missing feathers are from mange or some other disease?

Alexa

Annie · Post by **Annie** » Aug 25, 2006 5:08 pm

Looks like a molting cardinal to me. Kinda hard to tell in the pic. Maybe a grossbeak of some kind. But as much as I can tell a cardinal that is in molt

Snow · Post by **Snow** » Aug 25, 2006 6:07 pm

What Annie said

Mostly here it's the bluejays that looks like that right now

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Aug 26, 2006 7:05 am

Wow, I do not know Roxanne......Hope you find out.

Snow · Post by **Snow** » Aug 26, 2006 2:49 pm

It really is a molting male Cardinal - honest

Roxanne · Post by **Roxanne** » Aug 26, 2006 3:07 pm

I'm still not too sure about that. I have Cardinals here, and this bird has a beak that is huge compared to a Cardinal, besides--it was squawking at me because of the baby near by. A female cardinal is no way that vividly colored, unless male cardinals protect their young as well. Still doesn't explain the huge beak. If I can get a better pic I will.

Annie · Post by **Annie** » Aug 26, 2006 3:52 pm

The males do protect the babies

Like I said if not a cardinal, (is what I think it is, maybe wrong though) a grossbeak.
We have redbrested grossbeaks around here, and they have pretty good sized beaks. But from your pic the color isn't correct for a grosbeak.

Pandora · Post by **Pandora** » Aug 27, 2006 8:34 am

Does it have blue feathers and green feathers. Cardinals would not have blue. I wonder if caliloo is on to something. It could be a escaped tropical pet.

It might be a stretch, but I found this on the Web.

Also
http://home.iprimus.com.au/readman/rainbow.htm

petal*pusher · Post by **petal*pusher** » Aug 27, 2006 1:11 pm

Hmmm....it sure looks like a cardinal to me too! That beak and long tail give it away. The little fella sure looks like the youngin' in this picture too!......p

http://www.southbaycommunity.com/images/bcardinal.jpg

caliloo · Post by **caliloo** » Aug 27, 2006 2:13 pm

I think we have a winner - sure looks like the LORIKEET to me too. I bet the poor thing has something wrong with it like mange and that is why the feathers are all nasty around the head/neck.

I also think the baby is a baby cardinal and unrelated to the colorful adult. Maybe they've just "adopted" each other?

Alexa

Old earth dog · Post by **Old earth dog** » Aug 27, 2006 11:13 pm

They don't believe ya Snow!

It's a CARDINAL folks. Beak shape definately takes it away from any of the parrot family.

Post by **Chris_W** » Aug 28, 2006 1:08 am

I hate to say it, but I think it is a cardinal too

I've seen both the male and the female cardinals protect their young like this, and although I've never seen a molting cardinal in person I've seen pictures of them that look exactly like this

viktoria · Post by **viktoria** » Aug 28, 2006 6:18 am

My two cents' worth:

I have never seen a cardinal with any blue on it. The tail looks too long, too.

caliloo · Post by **caliloo** » Aug 28, 2006 8:56 am

My two cents' worth:

I have never seen a cardinal with any blue on it. The tail looks too long, too.

I was wondering about the blue too.... can someone tell me what kind of cardinal has blue on the back? I would love to see photos of that!

Alexa

Post by **Chris_W** » Aug 28, 2006 9:41 am

Remember, the dark portions are not feathers - that's where you can see skin - and I think it just looks blue in the picture.

Roxanne · Post by **Roxanne** » Aug 28, 2006 11:47 am

Thanks everyone!!

The bird disappeared for now, so no more pics are possible. I guess I have a molting cardinal out there then!

Annie · Post by **Annie** » Aug 28, 2006 12:05 pm

I think the beak looks so big because of the missing feathers around it's head.

Here is a pic of a cardinal that I took the other day, they aren't very pretty at molting time LOL.
This one has the feather missing on his body.