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Topic Categories: Birding • Education • Mystery Birds • Photography • Teaching • Travel
Posted on: January 6, 2010 9:59 AM, by "GrrlScientist"
tags: Chipping Sparrow, Spizella passerina, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Chipping Sparrow, Spizella passerina, photographed at Illinois Beach State Park, Lake County, Illinois. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Janice Sweet, 20 October 2009 [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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Comments
I have a theory that there is only one sparrow in Illinois, so this is obviously a chipping sparrow. Possibly in disguise.
Posted by: Bob O'H | January 6, 2010 10:47 AM
I'm leaning toward a Spizella, and with the Mystery Bird, any Spizella should be assumed to be a Chipping Sparrow until proven otherwise. I can't see anything to prove otherwise, so I'm going with Chipping Sparrow, but with a low degree of certainty.
Posted by: John Callender | January 6, 2010 10:47 AM
Oh, heh. I thought that shot looked familiar. How soon I forget...
Posted by: John Callender | January 6, 2010 10:51 AM
Looks to me like something that's spreading northeast.
Posted by: Carel | January 6, 2010 12:20 PM
My Buntings and Sparrows book now falls open automatically at Chipping Sparrow. As there is a hint of grey(gray) rump I think it is this one.
Posted by: Adrian | January 6, 2010 3:45 PM
hrm. perhaps i need to choose another LBJ as my pet project for 2010? i am open to suggestions, especially from CBC count coordinators.
on the other hand, maybe i should post a bird image and identify the species, then ask you all to ID the photographer?
Posted by: "GrrlScientist" | January 6, 2010 4:27 PM
winter Chipping: subdued version of breeding plumage, buff brown, with darkly streaked upperparts, greyish below; the cap also subdued looking more brown than red because of the dark brown streaking... there is enough of the bill visible to exclude: the American Tree, which would have a bi-colored bill (and more obvious white wingbars); Clay-colored, which would show a dark tip (and white supercilium/brown rump); and Brewer's, which would also have a dark tip to the bill (and no grey nape)...
Field should be excluded because it would not show any dark streaking on the head nor the dark eye line; and although Swamp is very close from this angle, it should be excluded as I would still expect to see more grey across the face and above the eye, and also more grey on the underparts...
although there is variability within the Western subspecies, because of location (and I see nothing untoward with this bird) this must be the "little finch-sparrow-sparrow", Spizella passerina passerina.
For comparison:
winter Field Sparrow
winter Swamp Sparrow
Posted by: David Hilmy | January 6, 2010 4:39 PM
David -- you're right about the gray on the face of Swamp Sparrow. The supercilium shouldn't contrast with the nape, as it does on this bird. Also, the wings should be much more rufous, contrasting with the back, and the flanks should show a distinct buff color. Swamp Sparrows always look red and gray to me, more than brown.
Posted by: psweet | January 6, 2010 5:15 PM
Heh. I like the idea of posting a picture, and asking us to ID the photographer.
Posted by: John Callender | January 7, 2010 2:22 PM