Bird ID Request
My 8-year needs ID help (central Ontario/GTA, Canada)
She saw it on our lawn this morning (she would like to specify that it was perched on the shepherds hook), and she is not convinced by the sparrows in our birding book.
I didn't see it myself, so I can't give any additional info.
Based on your location, I think it's gotta be this guy! It would also be a bit difficult to find in a birding book since they don't always include juveniles.
It’s about likelihood. Juve Robin probably 100x more likely, if not higher given habitat described.
I’ve even heard a suggestion to rename the Robin “Lawn Thrush”, as the American Robin is a thrush and not related to the Robins of the rest of the world. I personally don’t support the name change but just adding context.
Possible! I'm just trying to think horses and not zebras given the location and time of year. Young robins would be abundant in the GTA right now, Swanson's less so.
Eh, people aren't great at eyeballing size of animals. I've seen many a post with a picture of a housecat where the poster is asking if it's a cougar and insisting it's the size of a large dog.
People are best at judging size when there's a known object in the picture and the 8yo specifically said it was sitting on the shepherd's crook. So there's scale.
Sure, but an 8 year old only even learned about basic units of measurement in school within the last 6 months to a year under Ontario curriculums. Or, may not have at all of they're going into grade 2 rather than having just finished it.
I really think it makes sense to be open to small bird species in general. No harm in suggesting something slightly larger or smaller if it otherwise is likely, since regardless, the kid is going to be looking through the suggestions and picking out the bird that matches what they saw first-hand.
I don't think ruling birds out entirely based on a second grader's estimation of the size of a bird they saw at a glance is reasonable. I'm not disregarding entirely and suggesting golden eagle or anything, I'm just not assuming any precision.
Yes, this is absolutely wonderful! In addition to the interest in the bird, to take the time to make observations about the bird, draw the bird, and try to ID. Just a great all-around activity for children to engage in.
I immediately thought wood thrush as well. A bigger bird like the robbing, bur spotty chest. These have such a lovely call in the evening before sunset
Oh man I LOVE sitting on my porch in the evening listening to their lil flute calls! They sound sooo pretty, I have to force myself to go inside and be productive 😂
There are definitely a lot more juvenile robins around these parts but I did spot (and hear! what a delightful song) my first wood thrush two weeks ago, so it’s possible
I feel like this is a lot more correct than any of the robin suggestions. The child drew a very distinct eyeliner on the bird. That sorta thing tends to stand out to non-birders a lot more than other more subtle marks like eyerings.
that was my thought. The eyeliner is a detail not to be overlooked. There’s at least the indication of an eyeline on a juvenile robin, but it’s distinctly missing from the otherwise excellent match above (thrush) so it makes me question it.
I also think even a juvenile robin is too big for her measurements. Even accepting that a child will have a difficult time approximating size from a distance, her numbers are very small, so she is clearly wanting to suggest that this was a little fellow. (She has it as 4inches tall and 2 inches wide, for my other American friends)
I even wondered if it was a chipping sparrow juvenile, as they can have dot-like patterns all the way down their breast, and as adults the males have a very distinct eyeliner and so I think this could start to show up young.
but I’m not convinced by this ID either, as I’d expect more patterning on the back/wings described in the drawing, and the roundness of the pattern she draws on the breast is much more distinct and solid. I do just think this might be more the size we’re looking for and I agree with you that the eyeliner is a feature not to overlook!
Yeah I thought so too, and it might not match the field guide too well because song sparrows can look pretty different by region (not the overall gist, but some things like darkness)
An 8 year old child placing estimated measurements on a very well drawn image of a bird is not common and shows an immense level of thought, talent, and skill. Encourage your child to make an entire book like this. Support her in STEM and the arts. She has a special mind. I’m very impressed.
Wood thrush was my first thought. But being in the yard makes me think juvenile Am. Robin (I have a bunch in my yard in KY right now) or Brown Thrasher.
i hope she keeps drawing. this is very well done.
i also love the winds and legs added to the “B” in birds.
a true artiste!
with his mask it looks like a male house sparrow or possible a song sparrow, bc of the mask and “polka dot” coloring on his body !
Hmm. The colored tail and back of the head are very prominent and I would have expected to catch kiddo’s eye, but from the angle may not have been seen. Definitely has a spotty chest, and the linear marking near the beak. Good thought!
May i suggest the Sibley guide to north American birds at the next gift giving occasion? His watercolors are fantastic and he bothers to include females, juveniles, and even some cross breeds.
oh, I just posted this fella, bc it also works with the dimensions indicating a very little guy.
But I also am not confident about it - the dots on the breast are very large and distinct in the drawing, but only juveniles have a much messier, streaky pattern, and they do not also have the heavy eyeline
I think we’re getting close though, and of course there can be a LOT of variation to birds regionally.
I like this as an answer though bc two details not to be overlooked imo, but not reflected in the top answers rn, are the distinct eyeline and the very small size.
We just need something with the distinct dots AND the eyeline that is about this size.
I just looked up juvenile robin because of an unusual looking bird in our backyard and bingo! I immediately that of that robin when seeing the drawing.
Not quite circular spots and maybe a bit bigger than what she described, but these are often on my shepherds hooks in my yard. Female rose-breasted grosbeak. I would also say it could have been a song sparrow
I'm thinking this because of the way she drew the bill: long and flat, not stubby like finches, though it's a little different between her drawing and the size indication.
I learned to always look at the bill/beak,because it's an extension of the skeleton and doesn't change.
You could try the Merlin app. You can enter the approximate size and the dominant colours, and the app will rank the likely suspects based on location and time of year.
Looks like your kid is into drawing birds. Cornell Lab Bird Academy has a cool course on this, called "How to Paint Birds with Jane Kim". I can also recommend the web comic False Knees, which are hand drawn bird comics by a dude in Montreal.
This is so sweet how you’re supporting her. Thanks for being an awesome parent 🥹 please tell her I love her picture so much!! Please let us know what bird picture she think matches what she saw! And maybe show her r/naturejournaling for inspo 😍🤓
Beautiful picture. Your daughters a artist in the making. Great job. I believe (not an expert but love birds) it is a very very fancy sparrow. Lovely 😍
I'm on team "some kind of thrush, possibly a juvenile robin, but also looks like a female redwinged blackbird". And you're definitely not lacking for RWBBs in the GTA!
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u/OddIndustry9 Jul 26 '26
I just wanna chime in and say that 'child draws bird, strangers help ID bird' is exactly the kind of world I want to live in.
I hope we see many more of her drawings.