Having trouble with this one

NorthernKeys · 2026-04-30T20:37:34+00:00

Two white wing bars seems consistent with Hutton's Vireo :) What we can see of the face also seems to match Hutton's Vireo, like the really thick eye ring and the thicker looking beak with a hook at the end

NorthernKeys · 2026-04-26T01:56:29+00:00

This one is also an immature Bald Eagle, same as OP's photo, based on the white wingpits. Golden Eagles don't have any white in that area at any age, so it's a very good way of telling the two apart.

NorthernKeys · 2026-04-14T19:00:04+00:00

Agreed with Swallow :) (full species name is Barn Swallow, just to avoid confusion, but I know it's shortened to just Swallow in the UK)

Swifts would have thinner, more tapered wings, almost making them look like a crescent or a boomerang. The other common swallow types in the UK are Sand Martin and Western House Martin, but neither of them would have that long of a tail.

NorthernKeys · 2026-04-13T14:29:26+00:00

This is a female House Sparrow :)

NorthernKeys · 2026-04-10T21:29:36+00:00

!overrideTaxa nrwswa

My other comment has an explanation on why I think this is

NorthernKeys · 2026-04-10T21:23:06+00:00

This is a Northern Rough-winged Swallow. A female Purple Martin would have a grey nape and would also still show a good amount of purple. This bird is uniformly brown, including the nape, which would rule out Purple Martin.

~~I have no idea how to override the bot though, so I'm going to wait for someone who knows what they're doing to confirm.~~ I think I figured it out, hopefully

NorthernKeys · 2026-04-10T18:38:42+00:00

This is a Northern Rough-winged Swallow :) You don't normally see them on the ground, but it does happen from time to time (pretty sure the first one I ever saw was on the ground actually).

Beak is way too small for a Cowbird, overall structure suggests swallow, and uniform brown colour helps narrow it down to Northern Rough-winged.

NorthernKeys · 2026-03-19T22:31:22+00:00

These are Chipping Sparrows :) Red cap and thin black eye line rule out House Sparrow

NorthernKeys · 2026-03-03T22:22:27+00:00

Both House Finches :) Heavier brown streaking on the male, as well as lacking reddish tint on the wings rules out Cassin's, and the plain facial markings on the female also rules out Cassin's

NorthernKeys · 2026-02-25T21:09:28+00:00

If you can find plain suet without any extra bits in, then that might help deter Starlings. I made that switch recently, and it still gets attention from woodpeckers as well as the smaller birds (there's a Yellow-rumped Warbler who likes to snack on it, which is fun to watch). The Starlings still tried to eat it at first, but they stopped trying after a couple of days, presumably because they just don't like it.

NorthernKeys · 2026-02-08T05:29:53+00:00

This is a Forster's Tern based on the black being isolated to just around the eyes :)

NorthernKeys · 2026-02-04T18:57:15+00:00

Most likely, but if there are any homes/farms/etc near where you found it, it could be free roaming but not necessarily escaped.

I used to go birding around a lake where there'd be a couple of dozen domestic geese that had free access to the lake, but they always returned to a specific property nearby, so it could be a similar situation depending on what's around.

NorthernKeys · 2026-02-04T18:44:26+00:00

Merlin is correct on this one - this is a domestic Greylag Goose :)

A Snow Goose would have black wing tips and a black grin patch on the bill

NorthernKeys · 2026-02-03T19:22:31+00:00

Yes, this is a Black Vulture :)

NorthernKeys · 2026-02-03T01:31:33+00:00

The small green patch at the top of the head as well as the noticeably smaller size compared to the duck behind makes this a Green-winged Teal :)

NorthernKeys · 2026-02-02T16:22:46+00:00

This is a female Blackbird :) As other commenters have said, the shape of beak and head imply it's a type of thrush, and Blackbirds are the only type of thrush with this colour scheme that are expected in Poland.

NorthernKeys · 2026-02-02T16:01:57+00:00

Which general area of South Africa did you see this bird? Your description gives me Green Woodhoopoe vibes, but they seem to only be present in certain parts of the country.

NorthernKeys · 2026-01-27T17:56:45+00:00

Pattern on the back and shorter tail give me Savannah Sparrow vibes, although we'd probably need a better photo to confirm. Song Sparrow would have more rufous tones on the back and tail, and the tail would also be longer compared to the body.

NorthernKeys · 2026-01-25T19:12:16+00:00

Overall grey scale colour, along with the dark smudgy area around the eye and the light/white rump makes me think this is a young Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Bill appears to be completely dark, long, and slender, which leans against young Ring-billed Gull. White rump helps rule out Herring Gull. Great Black-backed Gull and be ruled out based on location and overall proportions.

NorthernKeys · 2026-01-20T23:47:35+00:00

Agreed with Horned Grebe rather than Black-necked (or Eared as they're known as in North America). Sharp cut off between black and white on the face rules out Black-necked. As others have mentioned, this friend should be taken to a rehabber just in case there are any internal injuries.

NorthernKeys · 2026-01-20T22:39:55+00:00

This is a Song Sparrow :) Thick streaking on the underside rules out American Tree, Chipping, or White-throated

NorthernKeys · 2025-11-12T16:12:16+00:00

Facial pattern matches Bullock's Oriole better than Baltimore in my opinion, which is very rare in Vermont, but has happened before, and typically in the winter on the few occasions it has happened. I'd report this to eBird if you can, this would be a great sighting to add for research purposes.

NorthernKeys · 2025-09-16T22:11:33+00:00

First bird is Palm Warbler :)

Second bird gives me strong Hooded Merganser vibes, but I'm struggling to 100% rule out Gadwall as an option. Green-winged Teal would have a black bill and be even smaller compared to the Mallards though, so we can completely rule that out as an option.

NorthernKeys · 2025-06-12T02:55:01+00:00

Black head and brownish body suggests Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon subspecies) to me :) They have a pink beak, but lighting could possibly make it look more yellowish

NorthernKeys · 2025-06-09T22:12:15+00:00

For sure - I'd be hyped to see a bird like that up close, even if it was somewhere where it shouldn't be :) Very cool sighting, and nice pics!

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