I am stumped on this one. It is a smallish bird (5"-6"). I saw this today at the Savannah NWR. There seemed to be substantial flocks. My first guess was RWB female, but I discarded that notion. The color and the patterns are all wrong.
Sure looks like an icterid. The dark blue/black feathers coming in on the coverts make me think that maybe this is a immature brown-headed cowbird molting from immature to adult plumage. I don't have a high degree of confidence in that guess though.
I looked at that in Sibley, but this is smaller by an inch or two. I could be off, though, since it was just my eyeball measurement. Sibley says 7.5", but this does look like the molting juvenile male.
Posted by Richard Ditch on August 2, 2011 at 6:22 PM
I'm for Brown-headed Cowbird as well. Plumage and size/shape of the bill are correct IMO.
Judging size of a solitary bird can be difficult even for experienced birders.
Discussion
3 repliesJudging size of a solitary bird can be difficult even for experienced birders.