question for you: any chance the unusual (for these parts) bird spotted by my GF this week in Chicago was Pyrrhuloxia?
I know this is way off their range, but based on a concise description and a bunch of photos it seems to match up. Didn't find much mention online about their appearing in the midwest, and this also doesn't seem like migration time for anybody. And yet, the photos are pretty compelling.
Somebody help out a rookie birder?
Thanks.
I'm not aware of any previous records anywhere near your area so this would be a very significant rarity or perhaps an escape from captivity. The main identification pitfall would be an immature or aberrant Northern Cardinal. Do the photos show the bill shape and colour clearly?, any chance of posting the best pics here?
Dave
Or female Cardinal? Or escaped cagebird? These are more likely. Yeh, love to see the pix...