hoping someone can help me identify a bird

[boston bean]

There's about 4-5 around the yard. They are black with white tail feathers and a round circle on their back.

I'm sorry I can't manage to get a pic. Hopefully this description is enough...

[XemaSab]

1. Let's take one thing at a time:

Where do you live and what is your neighborhood like?

Are the birds hanging out on the lawn, are they up in a tree, are they at the feeder...?

Are the birds the size of a duck, the size of a pigeon, or the size of a sparrow?

So the head, chest, and wings are black, but the tail is white and part of the back is another color? Is the round circle more like the back of the head, the middle of the back, or towards the tail?

[boston bean]

2. Ok

I live in a residential area.

I have a creek running through my back yard, that flows into the charles river down the street. It attracts 1 blue heron, turtles, ducks, geese, red tail hawks and beavers.

It's like a damned wildlife preserve around here.

The birds are out and about in the yard and flying up into the trees. Seems as though they have some nest around here.

They are the size of you average blue jay, and robin red breast, maybe a little bigger.

The bird is black, but it's tail feathers are white. Not all the way to the tip. More like a black tail, then white, then a little black again at the end.

The round circle, I only caught a glimpse of. it appeared to me to be on it's back, not head.

[XemaSab]

3. Eastern Towhee or American Redstart?

[fadedrose]

4. These are a special breed

developed by the NRA for target practice....