A mystery bird with a call like a rusty gate has been lurking around the neighbourhood for the past 2 days. No sightings. Just startling hearings.
Field to Forest
An urban farmgirl's chronicles of nature
A mystery bird with a call like a rusty gate has been lurking around the neighbourhood for the past 2 days. No sightings. Just startling hearings.
Field to Forest 
When someone says “rusty gate,” I immediately think Common Grackle.
Thanks, I’ll check that out!
Mystery Bird sighting! The owner of that raspy, raucous screech was walking through a neighbour’s front yard this morning. From the ground fowl family – mottled brown body, especially the breast; size comparable to a soccer ball, though smaller; long narrow tail; bright red cheeks; narrow white band around its neck. In fact, the spitting image of a ring-necked pheasant. Now where did he wander in from?
Last week was the last time I heard our unusual guest – seems to be gone from the neighbourhood now. Hopefully under its own power! It was here for about a month.