Looking at last Friday’s bird photos, and I’d love an external opinion. I managed to take a few photos of these elusive little ~sparrow-sized jobbers we kept seeing in the underbrush of a scrubwood margin on Sauvie Island. The only good match I’ve found for them is female or immature Lazuli Buntings, which would be a lifer for me. Anyone with more #bunting experience have an opinion?
@faerye while im not as familiar with your western birds, lazuli is absolutely my guess with that white wing bar on them. they do look quite like our indigo buntings otherwise but doesn't look like you have them over there
@loren Thank you! Yes, the jowl stripes do look like Indigo (they’re on the same page in my Sibley, hehe) but it looks like ours have ‘em too, just less distinct.
I inveigh against the prevalence of adult male birds in photos and reference, but I admit they’re usually…easier to definitively ID than this! ;)
@faerye yeah these ones are pretty pale, i just saw my first female indigo bunting the other day and had no clue what it was because she was so pale, and looks just like your two here haha. certainly makes id a bit trickier haha