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Birding/Mystery bird....tanager?

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Expert: Julia Booth - 6/10/2008


Question

Mystery bird - SE Texa
I live in Houston, TX and have always lived here.  We recently hung a bird feeder w/ sunflower seed hearts and it is attracting a bird I have never seen.  I've attached a (fuzzy) image.  I've been told it might be a tanager?

Answer
Well, it's definitely not a Tanager. Tanagers have slightly curved and slightly longer beaks that are sharper at the end.

This, thick and conical beak is that of a Cardinal, Bunting or Grosbeak. The closest species that I can think of is a Pine Grosbeak, which isn't really found where you live. The coloring most closely resembles that of a Pyrrhuloxia -except the crest is missing. It's too large to be a finch. It's in the family Cardinalidae.

You've got me stumped. Is this the only one you've seen? If not, how large was the group it came in? Did you hear it make any sound?

Julia Booth

Expertise

I can answer questions about bird identification (by sight or sound), behavior, distribution, population, conservation, mating, nesting, fledging and feeding. I do have some practical knowledge about foreign species, but identification skills are limited in that arena. Bear in mind that as much as I know, it's possible that at least some of you will ask a question that I am unable to answer. At which point I would direct you to wherever or whomever I thought could provide you with that information.

Experience

I have 15 years birding experience in Southern California.

Organizations
Audubon Society

Education/Credentials
My education is in art and photography -but I have a substantial portfolio of nature related work.

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