What Kind Of Bird Is This Flying Around My Kitchen?

Funny how often we find birds in the house. Not just here in Salta but also in Atlanta and Bocas. Cardinals, horneros, hummingbirds, too. I found this one flitting about the kitchen recently. Yellow bellow. Red pate. A small creature. Anyone know what kind of bird this is?

I took these photos then set about the project of helping the poor thing return outside. At first, it was petrified. 

Anytime I came near, it would panic and dart back and forth, banging it's head into the screen. After a little while, though, it just ignored me.

I have this weird fear of birds. Prior to this bizarre rash of random birds flying into our living space, I've been attacked -- yes, literally attacked -- by many birds over the years. From an old employers parrot grabbing onto my hand with it's amazingly powerful beak to random birds flying out of the sky trying to peck at my head, I've had my share of negative bird experiences.

I always figured, I'll leave them alone if they leave me alone. But that's not an option when there they are inside on your kitchen windowsill.

So, I grabbed a large curtain our landlord left in the house, climbed up on the counter and waited for the bird to come closer.  Meanwhile, the bird squinched down below the window frame making it almost impossible to catch him with fumbling curtain-hands.  Almost. I reached in and could feel his tiny quivering body -- surprisingly frail -- between my fingers. Captured.

I've never before held a bird, let alone a wild one. Never before have I felt a living creature leave my hands and instead of falling to the ground -- as I half expected -- take flight.

It was exhilarating.

Today, though, no more birds. Today, instead, the house is full of butterflies. Black and orange, about an inch and a half in diameter, they sit on the windows and kitchen table. They land on our hands, slowly flap their wings.

Soon they'll be gone, but my short experience in this country house has shown me that something else will soon take its place. We've been through frogs, birds, horses, grasshoppers, butterflies and bright green beetles as large as sucking candies.

What will tomorrow bring?

Comments

[Nick]

We used to have birds fly into our greenhouse at home. Some of the panes of glass were missing, and somehow they found it easy to get in, but really hard to get out. They'd go crazy trying to escape, repeatedly flying into the glass, stunning themselves. All we could do was open the door and hope. Sometimes they'd smack into the glass so often, they knock themselves out. We'd scoop them up and place them somewhere safe, next to a pot of water. Not really sure what else we could have done...

[Charles Conlan]

Leigh, Look's like a yellow finch.
Pretty bird indeed.

[Trisha Miller]

A good argument for not cleaning your windows - it's quite true that birds fly into clean windows significantly far more often than dirty ones. If we look hard enough, there's almost always a great excuse to avoid most housework. :)

[Jami]

Leigh....what I love the most is that you took note of the exhilirating feeling of that tiny creature leaving your hands and taking flight. Makes me think of how many really amazing litte experiences fill our days, if only we are tuned in enough to notice.

I know nothing about birds, but I'll ask my host sister in Salta. Maybe it's well known locally.

[Horacio]

Hi you there,

I think that this bird is the one called in spanish Pitiayumi (Parula pitiayumi).

Here you have a link to see another picture of this bird and to try to have an idea if was it or not:

http://www.avespantanal.com.br/imagens/284%20-%20Mariquita/parula-pitiayumi-ENDRIGO.jpg

Bye, Horacio.

[Michael Lynch]

Leigh,
Here ya go http://www.birdforum.net/forum.php
Best site in the whole-wide world for ID on birds and lotsa other critters.
Just make sure you tell them the bird squinched down and you didn't squinch it. Some really serious birders (they call themselves).

Cheers,
Mike

[J]

I suppose renting Hitchcock's "The Birds"
isn't in your future

Classic movie, but it scared the hell out of me.

Hey I was only,,well I was young

Me

[Marie]

I'm still getting over the fact that you said, "squinched". It's like finding another person who speaks my language.
My husband once caught a bird in the same way using a tea towel and he described it similarly. The sudden feeling that you are in total control over what happens to this tiny little life as he looks at you eye to eye and then, whooosh!

[Carolina]

I think I'd take butterflies over birds any day. Funny how some people are also afraid of butterflies landing on them too. Anyhow, you got some pretty pictures and a great story.

[Leigh Shulman]

It is really beautiful. I can't believe it was looking right at me.

I think Horacio down below has the correct bird. I wonder, though, if it's related to the finch. The body type is so similar. Just the coloring is different.

[Leigh Shulman]

You know, I had you in mind when I wrote this. I had a feeling you would know. I wish you had been here to see it for yourself. I was standing so close to the little one.

[Leigh Shulman]

Thanks for the link, Mike. Great site. I love how between you and Horacio, there's a bit of a bird watchers resource going on here.

And if I had squinched the bird, I would have been seriously traumatized. No way I could have written about it.

[Leigh Shulman]

J. Hitchcock's Birds absolutely terrifies me. I have only seen it a couple times, and that was quite a while ago. But I still shudder when I think of that scene when they're leaving town and there are birds absolutely everywhere.

In a way, I'm the perfect audience for the movie, bc I'm already scared of the creatures. Less, so, though, after this.

[Leigh Shulman]

In the kitchen? Most definitely.

I've become accustomed to all sorts of animals and insects since moving into this place.

We went to a butterfly farm in Costa Rica when we were living in Panama. And yes, we saw plenty of people freaking out because of the butterflies. Yet those same people had no fear of feeding or petting the monkeys they had there. Even though, we were warned not to go near the monkeys because they're actually dangerous.

[Leigh Shulman]

So funny you say that. When I posted the butterfly photo, I thought to myself something along the lines of "Man, our windows look really quite filthy." But then I figured there's honesty in that. Because I don't really see myself cleaning the windows anytime soon.

Yes, and now you have given me the perfect reason why.

[Leigh Shulman]

I was actually amazed at how mellow this bird was. He went a bit crazy at first, but then got all calm.

I think we have to figure out how they're getting into the house. It's too many to be just a coincidence.

[Leigh Shulman]

That was most definitely the defining moment for me. Along with the weirdness of all the animals and birds that seem to find their way in our kitchen.

I'd love to know what your host sister has to say about the bird. Around here, almost everything has a story to it, as well.

[Kyle]

"It's a Tweety Bird" - Sylvester the Cat.