Our admirable avian allies

[Dr Sardonicus]

He’s one in a million: Rare yellow cardinal has taken a liking to backyard bird feeders in Rushville, Illinois

Chelsea Curry is a second-generation bird-watcher, so she knew she was seeing something special in February 2020, when a handsome lemon-yellow songbird made his first appearance at her bird feeders.

"That's a cardinal," said her husband, Richard.

"No it's not. There's no such thing as a yellow cardinal," Chelsea replied. And yet, there was no denying the bird's jaunty head feathers and his distinctive jet-black markings.

"I'm tellin' you," Richard said. "That's a cardinal."

As it turns out, a one-in-a-million yellow cardinal had decided to make himself at home at the Currys’ bird feeders in rural Rushville, a quiet farm community 200 miles southwest of Chicago. Yellow cardinals have been spotted in Alabama' Arkansas, Ohio and Florida in recent years. And now, according to Auburn University biological sciences professor Geoffrey Hill, who reviewed photos of the Currys' cardinal at the request of the Tribune, Illinois has a yellow cardinal of its own.

"That is a legit yellow cardinal," Hill declared.

[Xyzzy]

https://www.wired.com/story/stunning...ngs-in-flight/

[kladner]

The first is a Dark-eyed Junco, which we first saw this season.

The other two are of one of the two House Finch pairs which are around.

[kladner]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

He’s one in a million: Rare yellow cardinal has taken a liking to backyard bird feeders in Rushville, Illinois

I'm not sure where this picture is from, but it's another yellow cardinal.
This color derives from a mutation which changes how the bird processes color from fruits and berries. Instead of converting to red, yellow comes out. It would be interesting if the numbers build up, but it seems that they would be breeding mostly with red birds and might not manifest that trait in the offspring very often.

[xilman]

Blackbirds have built a nest in one of our bamboos. Four eggs were laid, at least two of which have hatched.

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by xilman

Blackbirds have built a nest in one of our bamboos. Four eggs were laid, at least two of which have hatched.

Nice shot!

I note that "your" blackbird is the Eurasian Blackbird, Turdus merula, in the family Turdidae.

There are several species of North American blackbirds, in the family Icteridae. They include Brewer's Blackbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds. The family also includes the Common Grackle, the Brown-headed Cowbird (a nesting parasite), Orioles, Bobolinks, and Meadowlarks.

[xilman]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

Nice shot!

I note that "your" blackbird is the Eurasian Blackbird, Turdus merula, in the family Turdidae.

There are several species of North American blackbirds, in the family Icteridae. They include Brewer's Blackbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds. The family also includes the Common Grackle, the Brown-headed Cowbird (a nesting parasite), Orioles, Bobolinks, and Meadowlarks.

Yup. A biny little turd as the Speverend Rooner would say.

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by xilman

Yup. A biny little turd as the Speverend Rooner would say.

Confusingly, the American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is in the same genus as the Eurasian Blackbird. The American Robin has mostly orange breasts (with white behind the legs) and brown wings and head^†. It is not at all closely related to the European Robin (Erithacus rubecula), for which you provided a video link in this post.

^†There happens to be an American Robin near where I live which is "piebald." Most of its back, a good part of its wings, and even a patch of its breast is covered with pure white feathers.

[MattcAnderson]

HI all

Saw three birds (Crows) in my front lawn today.

[Xyzzy]

[Dr Sardonicus]

Google La gazza ladra. I have read that it was (loosely) based on a true story, but, in real life, the magpie's thievery was not discovered until after the person accused had already been executed.