So, when last we left our plucky hero, we had been dealing with a small, fluffy, quick little bird with a long tail that NEVER sat still long enough to get a decent picture. The fuzzy pictures and the birdsong positively ID’d it as a Bewick’s Wren (pronounced “Buick”). I finally got one to sit still and get some pictures. Although it did seem more brown than grey…
THEN there were a couple of very large birds hanging onto the hummingbird feeder, which ID’d as hooded orioles. VERY cool!
But while the orioles were decimating the hummingbird nectar (I didn’t think that was possible – surprise!) there was another larger bird hopping around on the vines on the back porch. It was just a foot or two away from the orioles, but obviously not an oriole. Not anything like the same color.
I didn’t recognize it at all, primarily due to its size. I’m thinking it’s some kind of mockingbird, maybe a juvenile?
It’s slightly smaller than a full-grown mockingbird, about the same size as a towhee.
What should have given it away is the tail. Long, thin, with those horizontal stripes.
Also the way he was hopping all over the place, pecking at ants on the vines. He never sat still for more than a couple seconds, but he was close to where I was standing in the house and he never flew off either.
Lots of great photos to feed into Cornell ‘s Merlin Bird ID app. And no matter which one I look at, the answer’s always the same. This is another Bewick’s wren.
What I do *NOT* understand is how this one is so much bigger and different looking that the tiny little fuzzballs that I’ve been seeing for over two years. They’re barely bigger than hummingbirds, while this one is three or four times that size.
Are the little ones juveniles and this guy (and probably the one from yesterday’s pictures) are adults?
Questions that are above my pay grade on the ornothology front. But now I know that there might well be two different groups of Bewick’s wrens, even if I don’t know why they’re different.
I’ll keep trying to catch pictures of the quick, little ones. I need more data!
We Love The Stars Too Fondly 
Your smaller version is more likely to be the wren as it’s small. it should be 13 cm according to my (old) Birds of North America. Your hummingbirds would typically be 10 cm, and the tail would make that much difference on the wren.
Towhees are more like 20cm plus. So I think your new chap is not a wren.
Juvenile birds are typically the same size (or apparently bigger) than their parents, but the plumage may differ until their adult feathers come through. Some look like adults but fluffier or paler at the start. Try going back to your Cornell id and tell it to go bigger 🙂
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