Please ID my birdie :)

I don't know who this little guy is. I think that it's a sparrow of some sort, but am not sure. Anybody there to help give him a name?

Thanks!
Hugs :)

I know who these are, just thought that the pic was nice. Aren't they cute? :)

Song sparrow? Take a look at the alternate image. - Julie

http://enature.com/fieldguide/showSpeciesGS.asp?sort=1&curGroupID=99&display=1&area=99&searchText=song+sparrow&curPageNum=1&recnum=BD0310

Hugahosta .. Goin' with JulieKanes id !! Gotta be the Song Sparrow!

Incidentally, have you been able to hear their sweet melodic lil song, there at home? .. If not, take a 'listen' to it on the site that Julie posted ... and see if you don't agree. (*grinnin' with such love of nature*)

- Magpye

Thank you :) All the pics I had seen of the song sparrow didn't look like they had strong enough face markings, but the eastern song sparrow in your link had much more pronounced dark/light markings than the western one. Yep, I think that's him :) Funny, that was our first thought, but we had ruled it out because of the duller markings in our birdie ID book's pic. Thank you :)

We had some snow today, little guy (?) hung out more than usual at his tree. I have several eating stations set up, but I always see him at the mixed seed bell. Good to know I could help him out in the cold :)

Now, can anyone tell me if my little friend is male or female, or how I would be able to tell the difference in a song sparrow??? Do they have a favorite food or are they pretty easy to please?

Thanks so much!!! I knew ya'll would help me out!!!!!! So great to have personal birdie mentors :) Thanks again,

Hugs:)

In the snow today... same tree, roughly the same time....

This message was edited Feb 24, 2005 7:53 PM

Hugahosta your little song sparrow is a cutie & they do sing their little heart out. Can't help you out on whether it is male or female. I checked my books & it didn't show any difference.

I'm not very good at remembering "auditory" things, lol, but I'll try to see if I can match the call on the link Julie gave to a call outdoors around here :) When would be about the best time to listen for it? Is it likely he's out there at the crack of dawn when I still have the covers over my head? LOL :)

hugahosta, glad you are seeing birds in your yard, The Song sparrow song is one of the pretties, especially here in my area. They are a joy to watch and listen to just beginning to sing here. DonnaS

Do they only sing in the Spring? I'm sorry, everyone, I'm very new to birdies. Or only in the early morning? I haven't heard them, but then again... Sarah Grace is singing "Oh Susannah" at the top of her lungs...can't hear much else sometimes... hers is still a lovely melody, though :)

Okay, here's a closer pic. He hopped up closer to the door today :) Is this still a song sparrow?? I know my first pics weren't very good.

One more :) He's very cute!

LOL -- it's the same pic -- I'm pitiful :)

This message was edited Mar 1, 2005 11:48 PM

Okay... do I seem obsessed now? I used hubby's fancy camera to take some better shots. I've become convinced that this guy is not a song sparrow, maybe a lark sparrow instead?? His face markings are really quite conspicuous.

another

isn't he cute??? There are 2 of these that frequent the mixed seed bells I put on this plum :)

So what do ya'll think? Does a song sparrow have such dark/light masky face markings?

It's not a white-throated because there's no yellow. I haven't seen yellow on either of the two birds. Could they both be female? Or juvenile? Funny how I care so much exactly what kind of sparrow this is :)

Just a few observations: His chest is very mottled with a distinct dark spot on the upper breast. He has very dark moustache like markings that go down to the top of his neck. Light/dark markings alternate all over his head, the top of the head is predominantly dark with a very narrow light line straight down the middle. As far as i can tell, there is no white in the tail, but I have not been able to get a good look of the tail while the bird is in flight, only sitting. Also, I haven't seen the tail pumping as the bird takes off for flight, either.

This message was edited Mar 21, 2005 9:56 PM

I think it may be an American Tree Sparrow - the spot on the chest is a good field mark.

Here are pictures that I took this year, does it look the same?

http://www.jandbk.org/bird_gallery/americantreesparrow.html

You can click on the pictures to enlarge (for IE users only).

Hope that helps.

Jean

Oh, Jean, thank you, but that doesn't seem to be my birdie. My birdie is significantly more streaked on its underside (chest and belly I think) and has very pronounced dark patches under the cheek area. Mine's not nearly so light underneath.

The head markings seem to be as follows: Dark crown with a very thin light line through the middle, light eyebrow, dark ear patch, light upper throat, dark lower throat, and streaked nape... from what I can tell. No real chestnutty color or orangey tint. Dark brown and light brown with buff-ish lighter face markings.

Thanks to everyone helping!

The lark sparrow has white on the corners of the tail and a chestnut ear patch - I can't tell from the pictures, did you get a good look with binoculars? If you're like me, I am too busy trying to get pictures :^)

Yes, the ear patches match up, but I could not see any white on the tail at all. The overall look of his head is rather stripey. I dunno WHAT he is! :) but he's cute...

Well, here's a good pic of a lark sparrow. my birdie is very similar BUT mine has a streaked chest. Site says juvies show mature plumage by first winter, so I'd rule out a juvenile lark sparrow. The facial markings are exactly like the pic on the below link, but they are much duller (could it be due to winter) and the underparts of my bird are streaked. I'm not sure what to think of him!

http://www.birdsofoklahoma.net/LarkSparrow.htm

Just noticed you were from Springboro!

I'm really not an expert, really just started doing more bird watching this winter and I don't get many sparrows. I will ask my bird "expert" at work.

Well, thanks for your interest :) Always good to talk w/ fellow buckeyes here!

I've just spent far too long looking at 11 pages of googled sparrow websites. I give up. I would just LOVE it if someone could ID this birdie, but it isn't gonna be me. I'm a fledgling birder, too, and I just have no idea.

That would be terrific if you could ask your friend. The chest is streaked... it is not at all white. Tons of sparrows i looked at tonight had very light underparts... not my birdie. Also, as I've said before, the face markings are alternating light/dark from around the sides of the neck all the way up to the crown. i think it's significant that the crown is dark with a central, thin light stripe. I really need to hide in a camouflage getup and catch a much better pic of this bird!!! All my shots have been from inside my house, through glass, about 30 feet away.

Thanks again! I think I'm turning in now :)

Hugs :)

Expert says he thinks it is a Song sparrow, although it is tough to id with pictures. We did spend quite a bit of time in his cube comparing sparrows, which was a nice break from work but not too productive!

MasterofNone, excellent photos. Thanks for posting them.

Okay, a bit of birdie fortune! Said bird was hopping around just 2 feet outside my backdoor. He's definitely NOT a lark sparrow.... I read last night that the lark sparrows do not hop like other sparrows, but walk instead. One source said that the facial markings of song sparrows are "highly variable". Seems very likely that the first answer given to this post is the correct one: song sparrow :)

I'm glad you were able to positively id your bird.

Heres a link to Dayton's audubon bird alert, kind of fun to read it occassionally to see what's been sighted.

http://www.dayton.net/Audubon/rba.htm

broots, glad you liked the photos!