Photo by Chris Bosak
A Saffron Finch (?) lands on the ground to look for food in Brookfield, CT, April 2016.

Here’s one more shot of the Saffron Finch I saw the other day while playing baseball with my son Will. See the previous post for more information. 

At least I think it’s a Saffron Finch. That ID came from a birding expert friend of mine and many agree with him. Some, however, feel it is a finch from Africa. At any rate, it’s likely an escaped pet and not a wild rare bird for New England.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An escaped Saffron Finch (?) in Brookfield, Conn,. April 2016.

I thought I had a great bird for the rare bird alert list, but it’s likely just an escaped pet bird. A bright yellow bird flew into a nearby tree as I was practicing baseball with my 9-year-old Will.

I thought it was a Yellow Warbler at first, but rushed for my binoculars for a better view. Yellow Warblers don’t have red heads! I thought it was one of the tanagers, but after consulting with an expert, it is likely a Saffron Finch. These colorful birds are native to South America and are often kept as caged pet birds. That’s likely the case here. Instead of a rarity, I got an escapee.

Thanks Frank for the ID.

Do other experts out there concur?

Photo by Chris Bosak
An escaped Saffron Finch (?) in Brookfield, Conn,. April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An escaped Saffron Finch (?) seen in Brookfield, Conn., April 2016.

Photo by Chris Bosak
An escaped Saffron Finch (?) in Brookfield, Conn,. April 2016.