marsh bird

[acd]

In a marsh near the Chesapeake Bay. It moved around more quickly than a rail or heron looking for food in the water or rocks/trees. It was maybe larger than the pictures suggest, definitely bigger than a robin, closer to a crow. The dark eyeline and white eyebrow with red eye stand out to me.

[Kevin]

Female Red-winged Blackbird. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird

Edited May 26, 2020 by Kevin

[acd]

Wow, I figured I was overlooking something common and I was right. I have never seen a female this vibrant before. Thank you.

[Winter]

Funny, I would’ve thought Northern Waterthrush judging by its apparent eye stripe, streaky breast with the hint of pale yellow in it, the way it appears to be foraging close to the water, its location.... I’m likely wrong though! Tricky ID! 

[Benjamin]

@Winter Yeah this is actually a really common and frankly quite easy mistake to make. Female Red-winged Blackbird is probably one of, if not the most common birds I see on this forum, just because it looks so different from the male and so people don't even think to consider it.

I know the first time I saw a female Red-winged Blackbird I looked through my field guide and thought it was a Waterthrush as well. However, with more experience you'll begin to notice differences in structure, plumage and behavior that will tell you that this bird is very different from a Waterthrush.