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#97371 February 10th, 2007 at 08:50 PM
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I saw a brown bird I've never seen before, in the parking lot at the mall.
I wonder if you know what it is.
It was brown with a darker brown ring around the eye. A long pointed tail. A long beak like a hummingbird's, but thicker of course, as the bird is bigger than a hummer.
The bird's size is bigger than a starling but smaller than a pigeon, and a slim body like a mockingbird.
This is the best description I can do.

#97372 February 10th, 2007 at 10:48 PM
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Ya got me, Deborah. It sounds like it is probably one of the Western Thrashers or Thrushes that we do not have in the East. It could also be one of the Western Wrens or perhaps even a Dove of some kind. (Did it look VERY masculine? laugh shocked )

Go to WhatBird.com. They have an online database that can help you identify over 900 species of birds in the U.S. and Canada. You just enter each pertinent feature of the bird you want to identify until it narrows your choices down from 900, to 4 or 5 species. I used your description to narrow it down to several species of Western Wrens and one species of Cowbird, none of which was a close match to your bird.

#97373 February 11th, 2007 at 12:53 AM
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OK, thanks, Thorny. I'll look.
It was different from the California thrasher you identified for me.
Bigger and chocolate brown rather than the gray-ish mockingbird color of the California thrasher.
So, I'm assuming you mean there's a whole group of various thrashers?

#97374 February 11th, 2007 at 12:56 AM
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lots of thrashers.
curve billed??

#97375 February 11th, 2007 at 12:58 AM
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No, straight beak like a hummer.

#97376 February 11th, 2007 at 04:31 AM
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An immature Starling perhaps?

#97377 February 11th, 2007 at 05:49 AM
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No, it was bigger than a starling.
Imagine a chocolate brown California thrasher but bigger, with a cocoa brown ring around the eye and a long, straight, dark beak.
Bigger than a parakeet, smaller than a cockatiel.
It was hanging out with starlings in the mall, but it wasn't a starling.

#97378 February 11th, 2007 at 08:17 PM
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Deborah, Try Googling a Wrentit. that MIGHT be your bird.

#97379 February 12th, 2007 at 04:01 PM
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I looked-the wrentit in the photos look smaller, plumper and have some gray.
The bird I saw was long, sleek-to-slim, and chocolate brown.
The pictured wrentit is close, but I'll Google a few more to look for a match.
Actually, I "Dogpile"-love that search engine ! It's the only one I use.

#97380 February 20th, 2007 at 11:23 PM
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I saw the bird again, actually several of them in the WalMart parking lot.
I stopped to look and watch.
The bird is the shape and build of a crow, but about 1/4 the size of a crow.
Yellow eyes.
It is definitely brown, no gray, and has the cocoa ring around the eye.
It makes a sound (over and over and over) like a shrill peacock's cry, but the cry is shorter.
What in the world is this bird???

#97381 February 20th, 2007 at 11:50 PM
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I have no idea... but you do a great job describing him!!!!

#97382 February 21st, 2007 at 12:02 AM
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Try Cowbird or Grackle. Yelloweyes and screechy call sounds like a Grackle. Or perhaps a Rusty Blackbird.

#97383 February 21st, 2007 at 12:04 AM
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Or Brewers Blackbird!

#97384 February 22nd, 2007 at 08:51 PM
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Nope-I looked up all of them.

#97385 February 22nd, 2007 at 11:52 PM
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I'm stumped. See if you can get a picture and poast it.

#97386 February 22nd, 2007 at 11:53 PM
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MMMMM-MMM! grinnnn "Poasted" pictures! My favorite treat. Especially with toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate!

#97387 February 23rd, 2007 at 05:56 AM
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I really wish I could identify this bird.
It's a charming and attractive one.
Like a small brown crow with pretty eyes and an enchanting call.

#97388 February 23rd, 2007 at 05:58 AM
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Thanks, Jane-I try ! shocked

#97389 February 23rd, 2007 at 05:00 PM
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Deborah, I went to WhatBird.com and entered all the info you gave me about your bird and it narrowed the species down from 999 species to ONE Single Species that could fit your bird......the cactus WREN. Try that and see if it could be it.

#97390 February 23rd, 2007 at 05:41 PM
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Not it. Not even close to this mystery bird.
I appreciate your efforts though !
It's basically a little brown crow with yellow eyes. No white anywhere.

#97391 February 23rd, 2007 at 05:57 PM
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Is this your bird, Deborah?

[Linked Image]

#97392 February 23rd, 2007 at 06:42 PM
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Wow....thats pretty!!!!

#97393 February 23rd, 2007 at 07:08 PM
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YES !!!!!!!!!!!
Thorny, I could kiss you !!!!!!!!
What is it and how did you find it??????
Can't wait to hear !!!!!!!!!

#97394 February 23rd, 2007 at 09:33 PM
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Your bird is a FEMALE Great-Tailed Grackle. I knew that the only crowlike birds with yellow eyes were Grackles so I looked up the Grackles in your area and saw that the only kind you have in Southern Cali are the Great Tailed Grackles. In many members of the Grackle/Blackbird family, ONLY the males are black. The Females are a duller gray or brown, so I Google Image Searched Great_Tailed Grackles and looked for a picture of a female and BINGO! There was the EXACT bird you had described to me. WE have the Common Grackles in Tennessee, but NOT the Great-Tailed Grackle.

#97395 February 23rd, 2007 at 11:19 PM
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Thorny, you're my hero !!!!!!!
That's it !!!! I looked at WhatBird and saw her.
Thanks sooooooooo much !!!!!!
It will be fun seeing the birds again and knowing now what they are !!!!!!! clp clp clp

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