Actually, you don't have to wear a cowboy hat to answer

But, I'm sure Chuck can point me in the right direction.
Any thoughts on this cute, cinnamon colored guy?





If this was Spring, I might guess immature something ... not likely in November.

Rusty

Rusty,
According to my field guide of North American Birds, the lower bird in the top photo is a red breasted nuthatch.
The cinnamon colored bird just may be a member of the towhee family.
Chas

Thanks, Chas,

I knew the nuthatch - got lots of those here
I think the other might be a bit large for towhee,
but, what do I know

Rusty

PS - just got another one today for which I have no clue - I'll post later.

Rusty where are you - that will give us a clue as to what bird that it. It doesn't look like a Towhee to me.

Hi! Have been offline for a while. That's a tough one. I'm thinking warbler of some sort but if I could see more of the bird it would be a little easier. Good question by Wags on location; the range should help determine it.

I was going mostly by the bird's color. Don't get to see hardly any of the towhee family in southern Nevada.
Chas

When (and if) I get more of that dude, I'll post it.

I think I have figured out my other question...



My field guide does not show this in Wisconsin but, then I read more in the description: "...and ranches in the West; becoming common and spreading in East, especially at feeders." Well, I checked the copyright date of my guide --- 1983!
If it was starting to spread to the East 24 years ago, I'm gonna guess it has arrived

Maybe I better get a new field guide. The descriptions are the same but the range maps have probably changed.

Please tell me if you think my identification is not correct

Rusty

Rusty, you're right - that is a House Finch. When you decide to retire that field guide, I'd recommend either the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America or Kenn Kaufmann's Birds of North America . I don't have the Kaufmann book here, but the NG guide definitely shows the House Finch residing year-round in Wisconsin. Good montage!

Thanks, Chuck,
I will review those at my local bookstore. I really like what I have now; I have three and the easiest one to use is " A Field Guide to Identification, Birds of North America, Golden Press-New York, Western Publishing Company, Racine, Wisconsin". Western Publishing, well known for The Little Golden Books, beloved for over fifty years by parents of small children, fell on hard times a few years back -- I don't know if they have survived. You have given me two good ideas.

I'm still puzzling over my LBJ. I wish I had more showing the wing(s) and back. Coloring, what I can see, makes me think of female Evening Grosbeak (Wisconsin is right in the range) but the bill in my shot looks a bit skinny and I was expecting a larger bird. This one at my feeder is about the same size as the nuthatch.

Thank you very much for your usual good help.

Rusty

I live in Wisconsin and have those darn house finches are here at the feeders all year long. Their color fades out in the fall and winter but regain their red color again in the spring. The gold finch color fades from a bright yollow to a dull color too. My 2 cents worth for today.
Tina B