Hi everybody. In Nov 2006 this little guy showed up & stuck around until March. I am no good at identifying these little brown birds. I thought it might be a Lincoln's Sparrow or maybe a Lapland Longspur. We normally do not get sparrows during the winter months, only in the summer. I would appreciate any help you can give me.
#2
Interesting one! Not Lapland Longspur, as it doesn't have the chestnut wing patch. Best match by far is immature (first-winter) Harris's Sparrow, which has the same breast pattern but (?usually) slightly less conspicuous white wing bars, but also similarities to immature White-crowned Sparrow (tho' that shouldn't have any breast streaks).
Hybrids between these two have been recorded ( http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v096n03/p0595-p0599.html ) so that is also a possibility.
Resin
what an interesting bird!
Thanks a lot Resin. I never would have been able to come up with that. Appreciate the link also.
I agree with Resin on Immature Harris' Sparrow. Look at the cheek patch
OK, it's unanimous, Immature Harris' Sparrow. Thanks.
