Bird Id

[dihoekstra]

I have this little bird landing in my sweet gum tree to eat peanut butter off of a pine cone. He's pretty shy so I haven't attempted to go outside while he's visiting to get a closer look. He's been coming around for the last few days so I'll try to get out the door for a better look.

He's slightly smaller than a yellow-rumped warbler that hangs in the same tree. Other details:

dark green or olive back
lighter green breast, but solid
no wing markings (lines) that I can tell
appears to have ring around the eye
has a slender bill like a warbler, not cone-shaped
bill appears to me to be light, not black
perches on a small limb and reaches to eat from pine cone
eating peanut butter
only seeing single bird, no flock
somewhat hyper

My guess from my books and internet images is a orange crowned warbler. Not sure the habitat matches. Do they eat peanut butter? Ruled out kinglet because of wing markings. Any other suggestions?

[djringer]

It's tough to say without seeing the bird, but your description does sound a lot like an Orange-crowned Warbler. They are greenish above and yellowish below without any prominent markings. If you can, take a look at the bird's undertail coverts. They should be a slightly brighter yellow than the lower belly.

Orange-crowned Warblers do visit backyard feeders for fatty or sugary foods. I think I've read an account in which someone saw them eating marshmallows, but I can't find it!

David

[dihoekstra]

Thanks, David. I haven't had time to stop and notice the backyard birds since the count this weekend. Hope to find time tomorrow afternoon. The birds have cleaned the two pinecones my daughter made for me. Never dreamed they would be such a hit. I noticed on the birdsource website gallery for 2007 someone spread peanut butter right on the bark and two piliated woodpeckers were feasting. So I mixed more peanut butter with a little cornmeal and spread it right on the tree. Didn't have time to watch for birds today, but checked the peanut butter and it had tons of little beak holes, so I know they've found it. Will try to get a picture or at least a closer look at this little green bird for specific id. It's funny how the bird population in my neighborhood is totally different this winter than in the past. I've never seen so many cedar waxwings. Never seen yellow-rumped warblers before this winter, now have several regulars in the yard. Have always had a few gold finches and haven't seen a one in the yard this winter. Have also seen a yellow-bellied sapsucker and his hunting evidence in the tree. And a downy woodpecker. Also have a wren hanging around. Anyway, just amazed at how different it is this winter than previous.

[ECD1211]

I just spotted what I'm pretty sure is an orange-crowned warbler at my feeders today -- in fact, I came here to see if anyone had spotted any in the area. I've never seen one in my yard before.

He seemed to really like the fruit and nut cake I have in a suet feeder and also took some shelled peanuts from another feeder.

The bird you describe is pretty much what I saw today.

[T. David Griffith]

My vote is for the orange crowned warbler. We have had one visiting us for over a month. We finally got a confirmation with a picture showing very light streaking on the belly. The streaks could not have been over 1/16 inch accross and the variation between the streaks was minimal. According to a real bird expert who saw the image, she had only seen two orange crowned warblers which had an orange crown. We live about 1/4 mile northwest of the Alma and Park corner in Plano.

Our OCW was photographed on a suet feeder. But, he/she prefers to rumage around and really likes climbing through two dormant cigar plants and occasionally in some flame acanthus.

Besides the OCW, we also have a ruby crowned kinglet which is very similar in both looks and behavior. The kinglet, though, has bands on its wings and we have seen a red dot on the top of its head.

Have fun watching your orange crowned warbler. It is definitely smaller with an almost completely different behavior than the yellow rumped warbler.

[dihoekstra]

Thanks for the confirmation sightings! I hope I see my little OCW again. I spent this weekend with about 2500 teenagers at a conference in Arlington. Man, I could really use a quiet birding hike or just an afternoon to watch birds in the backyard.

I saw on one of the Great American Backyard Bird Count gallery a couple of piliated woodpeckers eating peanut butter that was just spread on the tree bark. So read up on it bit on the web, added a little corn meal (recommended) and started spreading! But haven't had a chance to see if any birds are feeding on it. Who knew...peanut butter on tree bark?

Have any of you attempted any of the homemade suet recipes? I am curious to see if it's worth the effort.

[Bob Lanier]

You are correct that the bird is an Orange crowned warbler. I have had two lately who have been feeding on the block of seeds and sweet mix that was originally designed for woodpeckers or other birds.