Mystery Bird: Lark Sparrow, Chondestes grammacus

grrlscientist — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 08:59:59 +0000

tags: Lark Sparrow, Chondestes grammacus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz

~~[Mystery bird]~~ Lark Sparrow, Chondestes grammacus, photographed at the Potholes, Grant County, Washington State. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]

Image: Marv Breece, 25 May 2008 [larger view].

Canon EOS 350D 1/500s f/7.1 at 300.0mm iso400.

Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.

Rick Wright, Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:

Look hard and you can just see the tail of this handsome bird, lying parallel to the gray twigs it's perched among. At the tip of that tail I see an oblong white spot, and there is also the hint of a white edge to the outer feather -- none of this would be visible were the tail completely closed, but it's our good fortune that the bird has slightly fanned its most distinctive appendage. As we move forward to the wing, we encounter a somewhat diffuse but still noticeable dull tan patch at the base of the primaries; that, coupled with the hint of a tail pattern and the clean white of most of the underparts, identifies this as a Lark Sparrow.

Notice that we haven't even looked at this bird's most famous field mark, its gaudily patterned head. The "Mascara Sparra" sports just about every head marking an emberizid can have, and it's no wonder that this species is a favorite of the field guide introductions.

There is an important behavioral character that can be used to advantage in the field. Lark Sparrows regularly fly higher than other emberizids, their white bellies showing and tiny, sharp callnotes drifting down. Learn to look up, and you'll see more Lark Sparrows than you ever suspected were out there.

Review all mystery birds to date.

grrlscientist Mon, 12/15/2008 - 03:59