Rusty Blackbird by David Clapp

This is an interesting mystery bird! Not only is it somewhat mysterious in appearance, it is also one of the fastest declining species in North America. While this may be an obvious clue for some readers, if not, the mystery species has more than one interesting story to tell. First, let’s identify the bird. Obvious features of this cryptic individual include a prominent pale supercilium, a conspicuous light eye, dark underparts finely peppered with pale speckles, and pale buffy barring on the upper breast and sides of the neck just below a conspicuous black area between the eye and the base of its sharply pointed, stout bill. As always, take advantage of the colored image on the Bird Observer website to make your task easier.