Bird I.D.

[Polly Fouracre]

I would have sworn that I could identify any British wild bird but the ones I saw this morning have me foxed. So any ornithologists/twitchers here?
At first glance I thought blackbirds, but something made me look again.
Bigger than a blackbird, not so black, slimmer and a bit longer, black beak and legs.
I've looked in all my bird books but no joy.

[TEB]

Would it be a type of corvid, have you gone through the RSPB website bird identifier (not brilliant) but it may narrow it down, also there is the BTO site, this URL is a link to the common species BTO - Birds of Britain

[rustylady]

Picture would have been helpful, but I know what it's like - you never have the camera handy when something like this happens. How many were there, and where did you see it/them?

[wellie]

Black Redstart at all? Doubt it.... but to know roughly where you live is always a help in answering queries, said she, from Hedlu Araf (!)

[HayleyB]

Ummmm, crow.......... * jumps into weed infested veggie bed and hide head in soil

[digthatchick]

Sounds like a Jackdaw to me ?

[Polly Fouracre]

I thought maybe a type of corvid but, not one I've ever seen before. Slim, short beak(like a blackbird's only black maybe a wee bit longer).I live in Devon and these birds were drinking from a water-splash on a rutty track, surrounded by farmland,four or five miles from the sea.
Saw one again this morning but flew off too soon to take a photo. I will try again tomorrow and get my nephew to help me post it.

[Polly Fouracre]

Sounds like a Jackdaw to me ?

No, definately not a Jackdaw.

[TEB]

No, definately not a Jackdaw.

What about a fledgling Jackdaw, AFAIK they dont have the grey to head or shoulders, and they also have brown eyes at first.

[wellie]

DOH! Now I'm going to have to go and look up a Corvid, because I don't know what one of those looks like......?!

[Torreya]

Pretty sure it's a chough, similar to jackdaw/rook/crow, bit smaller with a greyish head. Q. brave, we've walked past 2 within about 6feet. Lots around Snowshill area, but think they're fairly countrywide.

[digthatchick]

Pretty sure it's a chough, similar to jackdaw/rook/crow, bit smaller with a greyish head. Q. brave, we've walked past 2 within about 6feet. Lots around Snowshill area, but think they're fairly countrywide.

Don't think so, as a Chough has a bright red bill (bit like my Telephone one!)

[Polly Fouracre]

I've got in touch with the R.S.P.B. they might know, saw them again yesterday but they were flying off.