small red headed bird

[NickCantle]

Striking red breast only says one thing to me!

Bullfinch!

EDIT; Blimey, didn't realise how old this thread was

[johnny11]

hi that bird might be a male red pole they can be very red

[schnoebi]

It was as small as a robin. It had a slender beak, so not very finch like. I never had a chance to photograph it as it spotted me looking at him/her, panicked, (left a small deposit) and vanished. The whole of the head, from the back of the neck to the lower chest area was red (more red than a robin, but not as red as a bullfinch. The red colouring was very clean and definite. It was so striking that I did not have a chance to record the other feather colours (I also panicked..) . If I had to say a colour, I would say dark chocolate.
The location was 2 miles from Kington in Herefordshire, in a remote valley where there are few houses, by a river and looked comfortable in its environment.

[RobinP]

Doea indeen sound like a Red Bishop (escaped cagebird). Do you have any aviaries nearby?

[Nightranger]

Originally Posted by RobinP

Doea indeen sound like a Red Bishop (escaped cagebird). Do you have any aviaries nearby?

A cagebird does seem the likeliest explanation and bishops/weavers are relatively popular in the UK although I seem to recall one of the canary family also broadly fits the description (sorry, I can't remember the species).

[rlg5786]

hi, i live in southwest, new mexico. mimbres to be exact. i believe i may have seen the bird you are speaking of - i have seen no other resemblence to this bird. it is small, skinny looking and has a red head and breast and the rest is brown like a sparrow. i had no idea what kind of bird this is and so i searched its description to no avail. i hope you find what kind of bird this is so i can research it. it doesn't seem to have a whole lot of long feathers or fluff to it. to me it almost looks like a miniature turkey.

[Ferret]

schnoebi Have you looked at Redstart the male has a red-breast, no red head though, and they can look very Robin like and has a slender beak and could well be seen in a wood in Herefordshire as well as a garden.

Ferret

[NicolaB]

I'd put my bets on it being a Redstart as well, it sounds like you were in the right sort of area to find them.

Either that or you spotted me lurking in a bush with a camera! I probably fit the "small red headed bird" description pretty well too

[schnoebi]

oh. It was not a redstart though physiologically similar, red (headed) and startled. Wasn't carrying a camera either. I am beginning to conclude that it was an escapee. If "rlg5786" has a picture of the little Mexican bird - that would be great...

Other thoughts : Red bishop? - alas no

[Jenny W]

I reckon it's got to be an escaped cage bird - can't think of anything else native it could be.