tags: Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis, photographed at Smith Point, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 31 October 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/250s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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hmmm, another Emberizidae sparrow I think...
a Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis): brown upperparts, white underparts with dark streaks , differentiated from the Vesper and Song Sparrows because of the combination of yellowish supercilium and white central crown stripe...
because many of the various subspecies wintering ranges tend to overlap, pinning down this one is going to be problematic without a little more research however if one were to follow Gloger's Rule, and the photo above does seem to be a relatively darkly-colored form, then this is likely a more southern/coastal subspecies
Fox Sparrowï¼IMHO.according to its chest feather pattern.
OH NOES!! Another American "sparrow". So I'll be wrong again. If that's a touch of yellow above the eye then it's Savannah Sparrow. If that's an artifice of the photo then I'll say Song Sparrow, but what do I know we Brits call them Buntings.
photo then I'll tyds