ID Help

[Fred Canter]

I've been trying to ID this bird for a week or so. Lots of maybes, but no definitive answer. There were eleven in a flock together and didn't associate with known birds in the area. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated. First post here, so I hope I get everything right.
Thanks,
Fred

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Looks like a finch of some kind.

[Fred Canter]

Thanks for the reply, I agree it is a finch, but which one is where I and several others are hitting a stopping point. Possibly it's an immature morph of a known bird in the area, but it does not fit what I've seen in the past with young birds. I find it curious also that there are several together and they all look alike, normally I see different age birds all in one flock and not off to themselves. I guess I'll just keep watching them to see if the plumage changes into something I can recognize.

[Chris Sloan]

Please post the date and location. I would suggest to the moderators that this information be required for any ID post, as it is often relevant to the ID.

[Fred Canter]

Please post the date and location. I would suggest to the moderators that this information be required for any ID post, as it is often relevant to the ID.

Yea, I wondered about this myself but since I saw no other posts with that information I didn't add it. Anyway, taken 7/26/10, Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico, USA

[Chris Sloan]

Ok, thanks. Two candidates come to mind. One is an immature/female Black-faced Grassquit. It fits except for the orange color suffused in the bill. Another option to explore would be an immature Black-rumped Waxbill, which occurs as an introduced exotic. That would explain the bill color.

[Fred Canter]

Ok, thanks. Two candidates come to mind. One is an immature/female Black-faced Grassquit. It fits except for the orange color suffused in the bill. Another option to explore would be an immature Black-rumped Waxbill, which occurs as an introduced exotic. That would explain the bill color.

Chris, thanks for the help. I agree about the Black-faced Grassquit as I've had several suggest that but the bill color led me to believe it wasn't. Also, at least when I'm in that area these birds and what I know to be Black-faced Grassquits stay separate and don't associate with each other. I actually just drove by the area and glassed these birds and they were in a tree with Orange-cheeked Waxbills but were segregated from each other when the Orange-cheeked Waxbills flew these birds stayed in the tree. Black-rumped Waxbill may be the best choice, I had to check Avibase to find them as no book I have lists them.

[John Chardine]

Please post the date and location. I would suggest to the moderators that this information be required for any ID post, as it is often relevant to the ID.

I've added a note to this effect to the forum Welcome sticky Chris. Thanks.