I need help identifying this striped bird!

[apuforyou]

This bird has been coming to my feeder, but it is in none of my birding books. It looks like a black throated sparrow or mountain chickadee, but its not bc it has white under it beak! Im getting really frustrated can anybody help? I live in Southern California.

[Heather_Bird]

I have absolutely no idea what that is! Certainly wouldn't be a pet here in NZ!

All the best,

Heather

[apuforyou]

I live in southern California, if that helps anyone. I checked all the birds(focusing in on finches, sparrows, and chichadees) in Western North America, but i had no luck.

[tielmama]

I haven't seen them here in IN either. What an unusual bird.

[Gary B.]

possibly a nut hatch

[apuforyou]

I thought it was a nuthatcht too but the type in my area are the white breatsted, red-breasted, and pygmy nuthatch and none of them look like the mystery bird. similar bird pictures: red-breasted nuthatch, black-throated sparrow, five spriped sparrow, and mountain chickadee.

[jessica313]

i dont know what kind of bird that is, but i live in boston and i see wild ones that look like that here all the time. it probably isnt someones pet, but they sure are beautiful arent they?

[Gary B.]

apuforyou I thought sparrow too but wasnt sure what exactly sparrows looked like so I didnt say that.

[Monica]

It does look close to a mountain chickadee... we have that same bird species up here (Reno, NV), and I've tried identifying it before, but I don't recall ever finding an answer! And I've got the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds....

[apuforyou]

I guess i should expand my search to eastern north america :(