[Mystery Bird]

Rather early, but Rose-breasted Grosbeak?

[Do you mind another gull?]

My impression is Less Black-backed.

edit:sniped

[Gull guessing]

Perfect first-winter Ringer- bicolored tail, dark primaries, bicolored bill, etc.

[Gull ID please]

40 minutes ago, Miss Marge said:

Somewhere in this chain of Spanish conversation was a question about a seagull?!?! Am I correct in saying that the final ID is a Herring Gull?

Someone help a girl out here.

I'm gonna assume that Tony's right- it's a Herring.

[Female vs. Immature male Hooded Mergansers]

Bill color is also often a great field mark. Notice how all the males in female-type plumage have dark bills, along with their bright eyes.

[Did I ID this Hummingbird wrong? Sacramento, California.]

There is basically no white on the breast, the gorget shape looks fine for Anna's, and the tail looks to extend well beyond the tail. I see nothing that would suggest Costa's.

Anna's can, in the right light, appear to have a purple gorget.

 

[Not my bird, but odd gull.]

Agreed. Notice the structure and leg color.

[Mystery Raptor-type Bird]

It could be a domestic Rock Pigeon- there are many birds that are almost or completely white.

[What bird is this please?]

1 hour ago, BarkityBark said:

I am used to seeing the curve-billed thrashers all of the time. You may be correct though, as the sage thrasher is a winter visitor here and some sample song recordings I was pointed to sound very similar.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/sage_thrasher

There is no American Goldfinch in this clip- as I stated earlier the two species we can clearly hear are House Finch and Curve-billed Thrasher. American Goldfinch is actually quite rare throughout most of Arizona. The first few notes of the House Finch song do sound a bit 'goldfinch-like', but in context it's definitely a House Finch.

As to the thrasher, remember that it has a diverse set of calls and songs- you are probably familiar with the classic whistled 'whip-whip' call as it's a common sound in suburban AZ. Their songs however, are a series of (often) twice-repeated phrases. Simply based on the fact that you mentioned you're in Sierra Vista (as opposed to far outside the city) it's pretty safe to call it Curve-billed- Crissal, Bendire's, and Sage Thrasher are not really 'suburban' birds. On top of that, the quality is exactly what I'd expect from Curve-billed (lacking the huskier, more musical quality of Crissal), and Sage Thrasher or Bendire's would be exceptional for that location.

 

[Scaup ID]

Yes, these look good for Greater with that head shape, bright white flanks, and wide black tip on the bill.

[Falcon?]

2 minutes ago, Tony Leukering said:

Male American Kestrel

That was honestly my initial thought, but the underwings seem particularly light

[Confirm gilded flicker please]

That's a rather good bird, no? Outside of Arizona these guys are really hard to find

 

[Falcon?]

I'm not really convinced this is an accipiter. What it is, I have no clue- the apparently extremely light underwing is very confusing to me. Structurally it doesn't really strike me as one, but perhaps Ferruginous Hawk?

[Gull ID please]

2 hours ago, Tony Leukering said:

Porque no?

When used as 'why', por qué is two words and has an acento.

4 hours ago, PaulK said:

It's tremendously useful, especially if you have enough of a vague sense of the language to know where it's likely falling down.

Yep! Knowing basic Spanish can be a lifesaver if you're birding (or doing anything else) in the southwest. Considering that some of the US' greatest spots are near the border, it might be worth learning a little.

[What is it?]

European Starling?

[What bird is this please?]

The only sounds I can hear clearly are Curve-billed Thrasher and House Finch. I think there might be a European Starling at the end, but really it's hard to hear.

[Gull Question]

Maybe it's just the photos, but it looks on the darker/Herring end of Nelson's, but certainly not unreasonable.

[Gull ID please]

7 hours ago, AlexHenry said:

Well it’s pretty typical for second winter Thayer’s to have a clearly bicolored bill

But yes it would be unusual for a first winter.

Right, but third cycle would be much more adult-like, with a grayish mantle and more whiteish underparts

[Gull ID please]

9 minutes ago, AlexHenry said:

Would be nice to have more of a profile shot of the bird on the right. However, it appears to be a first winter  individual of a 4-year gull, not a 3-year gull like a Ring-billed. The reasoning being that the mantle/scapular feathers look white and brown, not gray as they would be on a Ring-billed.

I think it could well be a Thayer’s, looks most like Thayer’s to me (size/structure and plumage-wise), but I’m not sure we can really definitely ID it with these looks (and the pink in the bill seems a bit much for 1st winter Thayer’s).

I could be wrong as well! Hopefully some others can chime in.

 

Of course, pretty clearly, this is a four year gull.

However, can first or second cycle Thayer's show a clearly bicolored bill? It's not something I'm used to seeing, and I did a preliminary search on eBird and could not find a comparable gull to this one.

[Gull ID please]

I don't think the right bird could be a Thayer's/Herring simply due to size. I'm no expert so I don't want to jump the gun but that bicolored bill, diminutive size, and dark plumage seemingly leaves only one species, no? Curious as to others' thoughts.

[ID these Arizona hummingbirds?]

40 minutes ago, Connor Cochrane said:

I'm pretty sure 1 is Broad-billed while 2 is Broad-tailed.

No rufous/reddish on the flanks, tiny, compact structure lacking the 'long-winged' look of Broad-tailed- curious what brought you to that conclusion? Broad-tailed is very rare in the area during the winter.

Looks like an immature male Costa's to me.

[Sharpie? Other?(poor, distant, cropped photos. )]

@Tony Leukering  @Jefferson Shank It  does appear to be a large falcon, but I'm curious how you ruled out Prairie here?

[Plovers, Ducks, Wrens, & Accipiters]

It's a Cooper's. It's a bit hard to judge the nape color- here the clincher is structure and shape, it is not 'bug-eyed' enough for Sharpie and notice the rounded tail.

[Brown-headed Cowbird? Red-winged Blackbird? Brewer's?]

Agreed. I don't really understand the logic of not reporting something on ebird if you found it from photos. Personal lists, however, are just that: personal.

[Hummingbird after snow storm]

This is not identifiable to species. Only adult male Rufous with a clearly extensive rufous back are technically identifiable to species without a tail spread.