? Flycatcher?

I've had a pair of these in my backyard for the past year. They'll show up at the feeder for a couple of days and then I won't see them for awhile and they are back. Any ideas? I live in the panhandle of Florida. Len

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Len...it does resemble the Fork Tailed Flycatcher but according to my Sibleys book they have a dark beak, so I'm not sure that's what this might be. Would love to see one of these around my feeders. I'm over to the east of you, south of Mobile, there may be some of these around here although I've never noticed any. But then I never thought I'd see a cuckoo bird in my yard either. Cool looking bird


Sharon

Hi Len,

Nice photos of an amazing bird. Like Sharon, I looked in Sibleys and came to the same conclusion, ie it looks a bit like a fork tailed flycatcher but they have dark coloured beaks. As you say they've been around for a while, it's unlikely they're migrating to/from anywhere, but who knows? I hope someone knows what it is as I'm fascinated!

I thought it was the fork-tailed also but the red beak threw me off. Both have the red beak.

Okay, it has been ID by Raptor on the Whatbird forums. It is a Pintail Whydah that is from Africa. I'm going to have to research them more now.

Wow.......he sure did take a wrong turn to get all the way from Africa to Florida Sure glad you found an ID....and I'd still like to have some of these in my yard. Possible escapees from a zoo or someones caged birds maybe.


Sharon

Wow, they must be escapees from somewhere. I notice on the net that there seem to be a lot for sale all over the States. Thanks for letting us know the ID