Unusual Siskin or something different entirely ?

[RED]

Hi all..

Saw this little guy in my garden the other day...Would've missed it had there not been a young collared dove (A first for us) following a wood pigeon round...as it was sat still for ages.

Anyway, has my 'research' been right in identifying this as a Siskin ???
The oddity is the tail was pure white !!

Pure luck getting this close...I crept into the lounge to try get a better pic through the patio doors and it was sat right infront of the door chirping away.



I've never seen anything like it before in our garden...we've had a pair of Goldfinches visit a couple of times but they're so fast I can never be sure...This little thing looked so out of place with its brilliant white tail.

Any help much appreciated

[solus]

I'm not sure but it looks like an escaped cage-bird to me - some sort of canary crossbreed perhaps? (I know nothing about cage-birds!)

[posie]

I agree with Solus, first thing that came to my mind was 'Canary'.

[RKB]

It's a canary. Not a cross-breed or hybrid of any kind, just a common colour mutation.

[faz]

me thinks hybrid glouster x norwich canary

[Raine3]

Oddly enough I saw the same thing in my garden a couple of days ago and just 'assumed' it was a young yellowhammer (because I have a lot of them in the garden) I will keep an eye open for it and try to get a pic!

[moozy]

Well done on the photo Red, The variation of birds in and around Newcastle are on the increase, (there has been grey wagtails nesting in Heaton and the red kites over the city centre).
But your bird looks like a juvinile yellowhammer or a cirl bunting to me but likely the former?
There has been some caged birds escaped from pets corner in jesmond dene during there modernisation and could be plausible but unlikely as smaller birds are less gregarious.
But this is just an opinion and as wildlife watchers we are always learning,
Thanks for opening this thread and good look with your bird watching.

Ian moozy Moore.

[Fieldfare95]

I'm pretty sure its an escaped canary. Looks a lot like a Gloster canary to me, a consort (non-crested) one

[posie]

Originally Posted by faz

me thinks hybrid glouster x norwich canary

And methinks you'm right, faz...Posie

[Jason Claxton]

It looks like a Canary to me too.