Description ID please

[Maggie28]

Sister in law phoned me to ask about a bird in her garden feeders that only goes for the peanuts.

Same size as a spotted woodpecker, Brown head, speckly breast, small whitish stripes on wings. She lives in Insch and I thought maybe she was trying to describe a waxwing? But the speckly breast threw me off.

[JONNY74]

I think the fact it was eating nuts rules out Waxwing anyway Maggie as their diet consists mainly of berries. Must admit i'm stumped myself.

[MIKE THROWER]

Estimating size to a non-birder can be difficult. How many times people have told me they saw a huge eagle-type bird for it only to be a buzzard. Wood pecker sized could mean thrush sized bird. So, was it on a nut feeder or on the ground or table? On a feeder I would guess juv green finch, siskin. On the ground or table, mistle thrush or song thrush.

[Maggie28]

Never thought of the waxwing not being a nut eater really.


I reckon it was actually a juvenile starling as remembered a post with the starling having a red head like it had a rash or something. But most likely it was eating berries as some suggested, so maybe this was the same and a starling is a slightly bigger than a woodpecker.

I know what you're saying MIke, Keep telling them to take a pic even if it is just from a mobile
As they are worse than me at iding birds.