kelly@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Fishhead) (06/02/91)
I live in San Diego, CA, on the coast, and had a new visitor to our bird bath today. It looked very much like a canary, size, the body, the type of feathers, the beak, except it was white. It was about 10 feet away, and very spooky, so that is the best description I can give. I won't be able to get to a bird id book for a bit, so i was wondering if anyone out there had any suggestions on what it was...? Its slightly smaller than a house finch, since one landed next to it while it was drinking. It didn't make any noise nor peeps, nothing, while it was in the area for about 15 minutes. Oh, the beak was yellowish, i believe, and the legs reddish. Its face might have had some sort of extremely faint coloration, but it was very hard to tell. otherwise there were no markings, just white feathers from every angle I could see, as it sat there, then flew away. Thanks for all your help. I would appreciate responses in mail, and i can summarize for the net if there is interest... Kelly kelly@cobalt.cco.caltech.edu
sid@jato.jpl.nasa.gov (Sid Johnson WB6VWH) (06/02/91)
In article <1991Jun2.041052.25155@nntp-server.caltech.edu> kelly@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Fishhead) writes: >I live in San Diego, CA, on the coast, and had a new visitor to our bird >bath today. It looked very much like a canary, size, the body, the type >of feathers, the beak, except it was white. It was about 10 feet away, and There is no NA bird that is all white in any plumage that I am aware of. Of, course you could have seen an albino form of finch or sparrow or something like that, but that would be pretty unusual. The other possibiliy is that you saw a canary. Escapees of that type are not unusual in SD. You might call the SD Audubon info line, 464-7342, and see if they have any information. Sid Johnson Jet Propulsion Laboratory sid@jato.jpl.nasa.gov >very spooky, so that is the best description I can give. I won't be able >to get to a bird id book for a bit, so i was wondering if anyone out there >had any suggestions on what it was...? Its slightly smaller than a house finch, >since one landed next to it while it was drinking. It didn't make any noise >nor peeps, nothing, while it was in the area for about 15 minutes. > >Oh, the beak was yellowish, i believe, and the legs reddish. Its face might >have had some sort of extremely faint coloration, but it was very hard to tell. >otherwise there were no markings, just white feathers from every angle I >could see, as it sat there, then flew away. > >Thanks for all your help. I would appreciate responses in mail, and i can >summarize for the net if there is interest... >Kelly >kelly@cobalt.cco.caltech.edu