CLOSED: Need ID please

I was taking pics of Red-tailed Hawks today and within one of the pics was this guy.

I know what I believe he is but maybe you can confirm my thoughts or come up w/ something different.

Thanks!

Was it mobbing the hawk?

Strange looking thing - my first guess is partial albino Common Grackle. It looks to have a grackle-shaped tail, and a fairly long straight bill open to shout abuse at the raptor. Possible I'm way off the mark, though; it isn't easy to work out what is what of wings, head, etc., on the pic.

Resin

Thanks Resin.

I don't know if he was mobbing the Hawk because I didn't know he was there till I uploaded the pic but 30 minutes earlier there were some mobbing him.

I thought the bill looked light too but that might just be the light on it.

The Hawk was to the left of him in the original pic.

This message was edited May 23, 2008 8:02 PM

Look's like a Grackle wearing a T-shirt!

Yah, lets go with that. Grackle wearing a t-shirt. Or got some paint dumped on him like in the cartoons.

Or perhaps a panda bird.

It's not a Magpie, is it?

Don't think so, wrong shape tail and wrong pattern of white. Also no Magpies in NJ!

Resin

First time for everything!!

wild guess, but maybe a kite? Maybe too light for one... and obviously there is no indication of scale in this image.

edit: upon finding more images of them in flight - I'll take back that guess. :D

This message was edited May 30, 2008 12:30 AM

Pelletory, what did you think this bird was?

haha Mrs Ed!

I thought Grackle but wished for something different. :-)

I'm thinking it's a camera illusion. Notice the top of the beak which is at nearly the same angle as the bright white appearing section of it's back and which also looks nearly white. Perhaps it's a bright sun reflection off a normally black back, which the camera was blinded by, so reproduced it as white.

I'd wondered about that, but it doesn't work for the belly, which is in shade. So I'd guess it has to be a partial albino.

Resin

You all have ruled out the t-shirt theroy?

I like the Panda Bird. ^_^

Flying penquin?

It looks like the wing might be in the way of viewing the belly to me.

But if it's not, it's always possible it's just a partial albino Grackle. Partial albinism happens quite a bit. We've got partially white Cardinals and Squirrels running around my property.

I just looked again and I SWEAR that the Panda Bird looks like a grackle carrying a white dove! Can you see the face???

cpartschick,

You may have been speaking in jest, but doubters might want to refer to this BBC irrefutable video proof of Penguins' flight capability before dismissing the possibility. Please view this excerpt featuring Sir David Attenborough regarding heretofore undocumented Penguin flight:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrxmpihCjqw

Mrs_Ed, I'm with you.. I was looking and looking and thought I could make out 2 birds there :-) Optical illusions can be fun

ROTFLOL!!! You guys are too much!

I also vote for Panda Bird. :)

Pelletory...Very hard to discern what's what in the photo due to the angle of the bird in flight. But, my first thought was "Bald Eagle." I see you live in Marlton NJ and are a near neighbor of mine. I'm in Vincentown. I'm still waiting for my first sighting, but I keep looking towards the sky.

There are regular sightings of Bald Eagles in the Medford Lakes area, and they've been photographed here in Southampton Twp near Church Road, not far from the old Medford Circle area. My son has seen them along the river just below Trenton, as well. The lakes and streams in this area are a draw for Bald Eagles and also, we're still relatively undeveloped. For the time being, at least! I'm going to share your post and photo with my son, and see what his first impression might be.

Rose

Pelletory....After an exchange of e-mails with my oldest son, I retract my thought that it might be a Bald Eagle. I was looking at the bird from the wrong angle and thought the white head was tucked down towards the middle of the image. My son pointed out that the beak (a straight one) is towards the right of the bird and I can see that now. His guess is that it's a Grackle, perhaps mutated.

Still, it wasn't for naught, as my son didn't realize Bald Eagles have been regularly sighted in the Medford Lakes/Vincentown area. We should discuss raptors more often, I guess.

Rose

Rose,

no no, it is a Panda Bird carrying a dove. Must be on the way to the Olympics in Beijing.

Will this nonsense never end? LOL

What do YOU think, sybil!!!

Uhh, nope! :)

It was all a hoax! ...... I'm so embarrassed....It wasn't even really David Attenborough....I feel so stupid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzhDsojoqk8&feature=related

Sarah says I've gotta put LOL with this (whatever that means)....so

LOL (?)

Lots of laughs

or Laughing Out Loud