Is there anyone who is familiar enough with Quito birds to help me? Some years ago, I was birding in Ecuador in mid-November. I arrived at the International Airport in Quito, and walked up the hill from there a few hundred meters. I came to a barbed wire field with a few eucaluptus trees. There was a hedge of bushes with a dry path leading up it that had Black-tailed Trainbearer, roosting Band-winged Nightjar, Black Flowerpiercer, Cinereous Conebill, etc. At the edge of the field, close to the hedge, was a grosbeak that was alot like a female Blue Grosbeak. However, I could tell that it was not that species, it being without rusty wingbars, and with a very slightly slimmer build, and just a little less chunky bill, as I recall. It was uniform light brown to brown in color with no markings at all otherwise. Does anyone think that they could help identify this? Perhaps someone lives in Quito and is familiar with such a bird?
Thanks in advance, Jim

Dear Jim,

Interesting sighting! The Southern Yellow Grosbeak is a common bird in Quito but does not fit your description. Neither does Black-backed or Rose-breasted Grosbeak (both rare).

Blue Grosbeak is a very rare vagrant to South America, but of course nothing is impossible! I can't really think of any Grosbeak regularly occurring in Quito that fits your description.

A female/immature Blue-and-yellow Tanager (a good sized tanager) can look very dull, buffy and unmarked in the field, with a slimmer bill. May this be an option?

Otherwise, without any photo I would say nearly impossible to solve this mystery.

Saludos,

Dusan Brinkhuizen

Thanks for your consideration. I was afraid that would be the answer, but that does narrow things down anyway. That must mean it was not a grosbeak at all, although I remember it as being that. I know it wasn't Blue Grosbeak, and I just checked female Blue-and-yellow Tanager. Thanks for the suggestion, but it wasn't that. It was definitely just brown all over. Perhaps some female tanager with a thick bill or a very large seedeater or something. The likelihood that it was something rare is very small, I think. More likely just my inexperience in the area.
Keep the suggestions coming, if you want. I'll consider them all.
Thanks again and sorry no photo.
Jim