Birds

Answers to the Flying Feeder Birds Diabolical Quiz

March 13, 2010 by Corey 4 Comments

It has been nearly a week since the Flying Feeder Birds Diabolical Quiz was posted so I offer my apologies for the slightly late posting of the answers.  Though, in my defense, not many of our usually intrepid 10,000 Birds readers dared to guess the identities of the birds in the three images provided. Oh well, as was kind of expected, one of the readers that did dare to guess managed to get all three correct and earn the accolades of all who have experienced a diabolical quiz.  Jochen, take a bow!

Now let us delve into each individual picture and see who did what right where.

Both images number one and number three were not only of the same species but of the same individual, and were taken less than a second apart.

The two images, of which the second was actually taken first, show a Downy Woodpecker diving off of one tree and then pulling up to land on another.  In addition to Jochen (who, by the way, initially thought the latter picture was a White-breasted Nuthatch), Adam Z managed to get the last picture correct, though, like Nate, he thought the first picture showed a Hairy Woodpecker.  Wren, of course, was just kidding with her guesses, but I think I should admit that no, I did not photograph any extinct species for this quiz, so Ivory-billed Woodpecker and Dusky Seaside Sparrow were not correct guesses.

This leaves us with only the second diabolical flying feeder bird image.  Everyone who guessed managed to get it correct (well, except for Wren, who thought it might be Bachman’s Warbler).

Of course, the bird is a Black-capped Chickadee.  Congrats to Nate who guessed it first and to Adam Z and Jochen who recognized Nate’s genius and stuck with his answer.

Thanks again to those who guessed.  And to those that did not guess, well, I understand your fear of the diabolicalness, but, really, you have nothing to fear…make sure to guess next time!

Written by Corey
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.