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Topic Categories: Birding • Education • Mystery Birds • Ornithology • Photography • Teaching
Posted on: July 3, 2009 9:59 AM, by "GrrlScientist"
tags: Juvenile Gambel's White-Crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelli, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Juvenile Gambel's White-Crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelli, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Richard Ditch, 25 November 2006 [larger view].
Date Time Original: 2006:11:25 08:07:50
Exposure Time: 1/200
F-Number: 8.00
ISO: 320
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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Comments
Certainly a first year White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) - note gray face and nape, unmarked flanks, gray and red streaked crown and thin whit wing bars.
Posted by: Michael | July 3, 2009 11:20 AM
Certainly a first year White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) - note gray face and nape, unmarked flanks, gray and red streaked crown and thin white wing bars - great shot of a very widespread North American species.
Posted by: Michael | July 3, 2009 11:25 AM
Seconding the White Crowned Sparrow. It's the only sparrow in my Sibley with a striped red/brown crown and an orange bill - most of the others seem to have gray bills. That white eye-ring is also an indicator, as is those bits of white wing bars.
Posted by: Lia | July 3, 2009 11:48 AM
We can take this one one step further -- given the pale lores, this has to be either a Z. l. gambellii, or one of the pacific coast subspecies. However, the location is a useful cue, since the pacific coast subspecies are largely non-migratory. Also, Sibley's shows them with yellow bills, not the orange on this bird.
Posted by: psweet | July 4, 2009 9:06 AM