Outdoor Ontario

Birding Reports => Toronto Reports => Topic started by: SarahBHood on January 18, 2015, 10:49:10 AM

Title: Vireos in Toronto in winter?
Post by: SarahBHood on January 18, 2015, 10:49:10 AM

A friend of mine was puzzled to spot a bird in her Toronto backyard a few days ago that she described as greyish with a short beak that points slightly downward at the tip, between sparrow and robin size, with white spectacles, wing bars, breast and outside tail feathers visible in flight. Sounds like a vireo, but could they be around Toronto in January?

Title: Re: Vireos in Toronto in winter?
Post by: thouc on January 18, 2015, 01:55:27 PM

Vireos are very rare in winter and are also smaller than sparrow.

Could it be a Northern Mockingbird? Colour, wing bars and white outer tail feathers fits. About the size of a robin.

/Thomas

Title: Re: Vireos in Toronto in winter?
Post by: SarahBHood on January 18, 2015, 02:10:21 PM

That's what I suggested to her first, but she was adamant that it wasn't one, and she's someone who'd likely know. Puzzling.

Title: Re: Vireos in Toronto in winter?
Post by: thouc on January 19, 2015, 12:04:22 AM

Townsend's Solitaire would also fit the description, but it is very rare.