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Durham mystery bird in Finland?



Many of you will remember the odd-looking bird in Durham NC that most think 
was a melanistic and erythristic White-thoated Sparrow.  If you haven't seen 
it or want to revisit, take a look at http://www.lib.duke.edu/bes/mystery/

Recently a very similar bird turned up in Finland!  I don't think it's the 
same bird, but the similarity is remarkable.

Here is the original EuroBirdNet (EBN) e-mail, courtesy of 
Oliver Nüssen <nuessen@item.uni-bremen.de>

---

An odd bunting(like) bird has been observed at a bird
feeder in Finland from Christmas on until at last week
(at least). The bird was brought to birdwatchers' attention
only last week.

Photographs of the bird (by Hannu Tammelin taken through
a triple glass window and scanned by Markku Könkkölä)
can be seen here:

http://www.jyu.fi/~konkkola/testi/sirkku/


The bird is about the same size as a Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinella (head and neck sturdier) but
it doesn't join the Yellowhammer flocks.

The head colour is dark moss-green and in sunlight
it shows a yellowish sheen (feather tips are yellowish).

The colours may have been altered in the scanning
process as the scanner has not seen the bird himself.

Any opinions what this creature may be?

        Martin Helin, Finland

Martin Helin
martin.helin@rissasolutions.com

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-- 
Charles W. "Will" Cook                w 919-660-7423
cwcook@duke.edu                       h 919-967-5446
Duke University Botany Dept., Durham, North Carolina
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook