AboutRoger Lederer Expertise Any and all about wild birds - the science of ornithology. Information about birdwatching, ecology, conservation, migration, behavior, banding, rehabilitation, feeding, songs, binoculars, identification, and careers in ornithology. No questions about pet or caged birds, please.
Experience Have a PhD and thirty five years as a professional ornithologist - research, teaching, author, speaker, webmaster of Ornithology.com . Have written thirty scientific papers, two bird field guides, a textbook in ecology and two recent books entitled "Amazing Birds" and "Birds of New England". Have traveled to over 80 countries watching birds.
Expert: Roger Lederer Date: 6/10/2008 Subject: Bird Identification
Question I saw a bird at a feeder this evening (12 miles west of Gunnison, CO on Blue Mesa Lake) that really puzzled me. Went through Shibley's twice to try to ID. Bird was between a house sparrow and a house finch in size. Was medium grey in color with no other visible colors. Had a sparrow like bill. Was eating seeds from a feeder that is used by sparrows and pine siskins. Top of head was slightly darker than rest of body. Bill was dark, perhaps black. Eyes were black with no eye rings. Body was thick and not slender. Legs were black I think. Not a cat bird. Sparrow? Lark? Finch?
Answer There is no bird I can think of that fits your description. There are a few that are mostly gray with a dark head (junco, rosy finch) but they have other colors or markings. The female Brewer's Blackbird is a possiblity but it is bigger than a house finch.
