Tuxedo Bird?

I know this isn't the proper name, but it's what came to mind when I saw it. This bird came on my place a while back, not one of the normal ones that come here.

I saw him flit from one tree to the next...then he took a nose dive and landed in the growth. He walked from there through the growth, across the path into the next bedded area. Evidently he was pecking for bugs.

He was about the size of a blue jay. He had jet black wing feathers continuing up over his head and around his neck. His breast feathers were pure white, hence the name I gave of Tuxedo bird.

He's only been here once but have wondered what he is, why he came here and why he has not made this part of his habitat.

Molly

The closest bird I can think of is a Black-billed Magpie, but you are out of its range and they are about 20 inches long. A Blue Jay is about 10. The wing feathers are iridescent, but they can look black if the sun isn't hitting them.

To make things complicated some birds can be leucistic (Some call this partial albinoism) where a bird can have white markings that are not normal.

There are birds that stray for various reasons. We had a Roseate Spoonbill here in the middle of Iowa for a few days. It is thought a storm brought him this far.

About the why the bird came and didn't stay. Birds move around during migration and likely your habitat is not where he was made for. We see plenty of birds in town and in parks that just will not hunker down at our place for the summer. Sometimes they pass through. Also, we have birds in our pasture that will in no way nest in the few trees we have in the yard. We have a Meadowlark coming to the feeder, so I can still hope those Bobolinks will get up close to the house. :) Many birds are very specific to what their needs are, but there are a few opportunists that can nest just about any place.

I hope someone can help you more. You gave a good description of its behaviour.

Black and White birds here in Colorado include Black Pheobe and Eastern Kingbird.

Eastern Kingbird could be it. I had not thought of that one, since I always view Jays as being rather large, but the kingbirds are only about an inch smaller.

Western Kingbirds usually have fly-catcher like behavior, I assume Eastern are similar. But that doesn't rule out deciding to hunt on the ground once in a while, like a robin or flicker.

Yeah, they do hunt like flycatchers. I've seen birds do so many odd things that I could believe a Kingbird would hunt on the ground.

Thanks for your help. I believe you are correct, it being the Eastern Kingbird. Wish more like it would come here. Very interesting behavior.

Molly