Yarmouth MA
Sometimes you see a bird... and you get so excited because you think maybe, just maybe... you're seeing a new species. I've become so dependent on my binoculars because I'm near sighted, so when I see field marks that look unfamiliar, I HAVE to grab the binocs... Never underestimate behavior as an identification indicator. The bird pictured below was ground feeding, hopping all over my back yard, about 9 inches long... the white eye ring was so noticeable because it was more like an eye stripe, plus I thought I saw wing-bars and the speckles on the breast... Yep...it was a juvenile American Robin who had me fooled for a few minutes. This pretty little one was growing into his/her plumage. I had to get some pictures! (double click photos to enlarge)
American Robin juvenile
American Robin juvenile
Now compare to the adult male American Robin pictured below... Notice the adult has the yellow beak, a much more defined eye ring (white pale circle surrounding the eye) the wings have filled in and the breast is bright orange, no speckles.
American Robin male
One of my favorite things about birds is that there is always something new to learn. Keeping curious makes life more interesting...certainly for Bird Nerds anyway.
Next opportunity for Tuesday Tweets: Cape Cod Museum of Natural History 7.29.14 9:30am $2Members/$4NonMember
Happy Birding!
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