Nature Done Wright

Yesterday I posted:

This guy was photographed recently in New Mexico.

I know it's got to be a sparrow, but what kind? Also, I figure it's young because it's eating out of the palm of a hand, but what do I know?

Can you help?

Turns out it's probably not a sparrow but a finch — a Pine Siskin.

Julie McCall writes:

i'm leaning toward Pine Siskin. apparently they have a year-round range in New mMexico, and there seem to be plenty of sightings in the past month in the state.

(I checked, because iItend to think of them as an irruptive species due to where i live.

🙂 https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pine_Siskin/media-browser/67276571

Although the photo above has some dark lighting, I think the buffy edging on the feathers matches up with the description here.

I'm a little torn on the bill, but i think there might be some fluff or some sunflower seed remnant getting in the way of my view. 🙂 new mexico is definitely not my stomping grounds, so i am open to correction. 😀

I plugged the photo into the Merlin app. It said the bird was a …

Pine Siskin.  (Tanks, Julie!)