Thanks to all who wrote back, especially to Robert Ake who directed me to the
munia/mannikin group of birds. This is the bird I saw:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaly-breasted_Munia. Robert also noted that the ;
bird is most likely an escapee which certainly makes sense given its normal
distribution and the fact it seems often to be kept as an exotic pet.
--Alex
--- On Sun, 9/28/08, Alex <aatsiatsos@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Alex <aatsiatsos@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Va-bird] Bird ID question
To: "'VA-Bird'" <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008, 3:50 PM
This morning, at Altona Marsh in Jefferson Co., WV I saw a bird that I could
not recognize despite several striking characteristics. The bird was the size
of a goldfinch with a dark red/brown head and throat. The bill and eyes were
so dark they were almost black. The bill was very thick, almost like a Blue
Grosbeak's bill. The back seemed to be a uniform, unbroken brown. The
red/brown of the head and throat stopped abruptly and the rest of the
underside, until the tail, was white with fine, horizontal black stripes. The
tail seemed lighter brown than the back and contained some yellow on the
underside, near the base. The tail was held at an angle, like a wren's, but it
did not seem quite so fixed. The bird was perched on a reed at eye-level.
Any help would be
appreciated.
--Alex
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