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White-crowned Sparrow

Zonotrichia leucophrys

Description:

unknown sparrow

Habitat:

Weedy edge of a sport's field

1 Species ID Suggestions

Liam
Liam 11 years ago
White-crowned Sparrow (immature)
Zonotrichia leucophrys White-crowned Sparrow


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7 Comments

ceherzog
ceherzog 11 years ago

Thanks everyone for the help...someone in the group got a better shot & it was ID'd as White-crowned....thanks Liam!

Liam
Liam 11 years ago

Field Sparrow usually show more of an eyering and more color on the crown and often around the auriculars as well.
This looks like an immature White-crowned to me, especially with those "staggered" wingbars; Field's wingbars are usually more solid.

Stian Waaler
Stian Waaler 11 years ago

I think you are right with the Field Sparrow, if you look at the wings you can see that the Clay-colored Sparrow don't have the white stripes that the Field Sparrow has ;)

ceherzog
ceherzog 11 years ago

Thanks again Lois...I'm leaning toward Field. We'll see if anyone else has ideas before I name it.

LoisStacey
LoisStacey 11 years ago

White-crowned might be a possibility but it would have a yellow bill, not pink.

Field is a definite possibility.

ceherzog
ceherzog 11 years ago

I hope it is Clay-colored as that would be a lifer for me...the head appeared to have a rufous patch...so that might matter. It was quite far away and several good birders were not of consensus. Other guesses were Field & White-throated. I see a pic in NatGeo guide of a White-crowned Juvie that looks like a good possibility.

LoisStacey
LoisStacey 11 years ago

I wish the face was clearer, but based on what I can see it looks like it might be a Clay-colored Sparrow. It has a clean, unmarked breast with buffy sides. Two wingbars and the primaries show buffy edges. There is an eye-line but it does not extend forward of the eye and the cheek is buffy/brown. Small pink bill and long tail.

ceherzog
Spotted by
ceherzog

Brevard, North Carolina, USA

Spotted on Oct 21, 2012
Submitted on Oct 21, 2012

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