Any bird watchers here?

[NNN0LHI]

There are a pair of birds around the house with about the same general size, shape and description as a Robin except for one big difference. Rather than having an orangish colored breast common on Robins this birds breast is a pastel blue. Beautiful bird. Just can't figure out what it is? Any ideas?

Thanks in advance if anyone knows.

Don

[elleng]

1. Dunno, but there is a DU birders.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=294

[NNN0LHI]

2. Thank you very much. I looked for one and didn't find it

[ChromeFoundry]

3. Here is a online bird identifier application...

http://identify.whatbird.com/mwg/_/0/attrs.aspx

good luck.

[alphafemale]

9. Thanks that helped me identify a bird I've spotted in the yard as a Blue Grosbeak

I took note of its bill size and shape hoping it would eventually be helpful.

[XemaSab]

4. What does the rest of the bird look like?

Is it hopping around on the lawn like a robin, or eating at the feeders?

My first guess is Indigo Bunting, and I don't have a second guess. :D

[NNN0LHI]

5. Hopping around on the lawn like a robin. They stay down low in the grass I noticed

And it looks nearly identical to a Robin except for the color of the breast feathers which were a pastel blue on this bird. Nothing like the bright blue of the bird in the photo you provided. More of a dull blue.

Thank you for the help. I am going to try the bird finder link up thread. And if that doesn't work out I am going to call Brookfield Zoo and ask them tomorrow.

Don

[valerief]

6. Bluethroat?

[NNN0LHI]

7. That is it! Thank you very much

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluethroat

[valerief]

8. Groovy. nt

[marzipanni]

10. Hmmm...

Are you visiting Alaska? Look at the wikipedia link-on the distribution map the Bluethroat's range is across Europe and Asia and into western Alaska, wintering in North Africa and India.
If you are seeing one in the rest of the U.S. try to take a photo, because it's in an unusual place!

[NNN0LHI]

11. I looked at that and it looked like they were only into western Canada

And I have been trying to snap a picture of it since last summer. Every time my wife or I see it we run into the house to get the camera and when we get back out its gone.

Might be either an accidental or on purpose release of pet too? That is what I thought of when I first seen it because I had never seen one around here before.

Not sure if they are or have ever been sold as pets or not in the US?

Don

[pitohui]

12. if you really have a bluethroat in your yard and you're in the usa report it NOW!

what's your location? I would put out a tip jar and a phone call to my state rare bird alert, plenty of people will buy you beer if they see that bird on usa soil...if you're anywhere near louisiana (which i doubt) i for one will drive out there tomorrow...

also be aware that even a bad, blurred picture will do for proof, post whatever you have, even a bad cell phone photo can be blown up and inspected by any of the birders here to let you know if it is in fact a true bluethroat or an aberrant robin or varied thrush or something along those lines

never heard of them as pets, however, accidentals have occurred and create much interest...

[pitohui]

13. also if it's a varied thrush ?

i checked your profile and if you are still in illionis you do have varied thrush, now i realize the normal varied thrush does not have a blue marking on its breast, it's got that black and orange pattern, however, this species has some color variants such as the orange is replaced with white, i wonder if the black could also be faded and look more blue...

i see no other thrush on the illinois state bird list that it could be, well eastern bluebird, but you'd have to be way off on the size and anyway i'm sure that's the first thing you thought of

[XemaSab]

15. Holy shit

:o

[pscot]

14. That's the Norwegian blue!

Beautiful plumage, the Norwegian blue.