Where the male has a grey crown, nape and ear coverts, the female is brown. There’s the black eyestripe, the white crown and supercilium, the yellow lores, the white throat bordered by a black whisker, or malar stripe. In winter, however, they're speckled white (below), thus earning the nickname "rice bird." Face is buff with black stripe behind eye. They’re also a great entrée into the world of birdsong, with their pretty, wavering whistle of Oh-sweet-canada. The throat is black, and has a white face stripe above the eye. The throat is black, and has a white face stripe above the eye. The female (above) is brown where the male is black but also wears the rufous. The A-Z bird guides include identifying features, nesting and feeding habits, examples of songs and calls, as well as the conservation status of each bird. Head appears black overall with white spot behind eye; cap is very dark green. Nape is chestnut-brown, crown is black, and throat is white. The male has a grey head, a white throat and a brown back, and is buff underneath. The bill is dark and conical. Males are larger than females. The gray head, black malar stripe, white eyebrow, and prominent black spot set in the middle of a white breast identify the bird. European Starlings, introduced in the U.S. about 150 years ago, have thrived and often join birds in the yard in flocks--much to the dismay of backyard hosts.Note that starlings in breeding plumage (left) are mostly black but upon closer look, quite iridescent. It has quite a long tail which it flicks and cocks as it darts rapidly in and out of cover. Their bill is pink or yellow. They are similar in appearance to the White-throated Sparrow but do not have the white throat markings. Black-chinned Hummingbird: Medium hummingbird with metallic green upperparts, gray underparts, white breast, green-washed flanks. Tail is black with strongly contrasting white outer tail feathers. He has a white collar almost like a reverse Ring Ouzel on the back of his neck and the local Blackbirds don' like having him around...smart bird though. The tail is long and rounded, and mainly black with some white... Read … The wings are brown with bars and the underparts are grey. Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) The Black-throated Sparrow has gray body with white underside. Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) The Black-throated Sparrow has gray body with white underside. This fella has been visiting my garden for a week or so and finally dropped in today so I managed to get a photo..a poor photo but a photo! The male has mainly black plumage, apart from a bright red throat, belly and wing epaulets. It is 13 cm (5.1 in) long and has gray and white plumage with black markings. Black-chinned Hummingbird: Medium hummingbird with metallic green upperparts, gray underparts, white breast, green-washed flanks. Young Eastern Towhees (left) can be real foolers to identify, but since their parents are usually nearby, they help solve the ID mystery. It can be quite aggressive at a bitdtable, fighting off smaller tits. The whitethroat is a medium-sized warbler, about the size of a great tit. Throat is iridescent violet; bill is long and slightly decurved. When it comes to backyard bird identification, a lot of people will rush off to find their field guide as soon as they see a bird that that they don’t immediately recognise. Note the stripes on the head and gray throat. The largest UK tit - green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. This is more than likely an evening grosbeak. The red-breasted meadowlark is a small icterid, 19 cm (7.5 in) long and weighing 40–48 g (1.4–1.7 oz). These bird identification guides provide information about over 140 of the most common British birds including garden birds, birds of prey, shorebirds and waterfowl. The tail is long and rounded, and mainly black with some white... Read more > Olive Sparrow (Arremonops rufivirgatus)