Not sure of Sparrow ID
 

Not sure if its an immature Swamp Sparrow or Sharp-Tailed Sparrow

http://www.x-plane.org/users/pdog109/sparrow.jpg

most resembles a 1st winter White-Throated Sparrow.

Of the three mentioned (and a look at the pics in Rising & Beadle), I'd lean towards Sharp-tailed....

Andy.

I'ld definitely go with the Saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow on this one.

Yeah i have that book to by Rising, Sparrows of United States and Canada, can't nail the ID, maybe just because the picture is crappy but usually can id from facial markings... i think i can rule out White-Throated by behavior... they usually are on the ground and flock together, this guy was alone and the pic was taken near some reeds right along the shore, i usually see White-Throated Sparrows further inland, not right near the water.

I've had a few White-Throats near the pond a 5-minute walk from my house. And besides, there's no black separation on the throat pattern in the Saltmarsh Sharp-Tailed.

I haven't seen a salt-marsh yet so I'm only going by the book.

Also theres the little black stripe under the eye like imm. Swamp Sparrow but that could be a twig.
I have other pics of this bird but they came out worse, i'll have to dig them up to see if they can give me any more clues.
It was hard to photograph him... he was 5 feet away from me and bouncing around all over the place... they are either to close or to far away, how come birds never cooperate? :)

If you have something from a different angle or another view of the head/nape, post it.

Andy

It's definitely NOT a whitethroat. If he was in range, I would say Nelson rather than the saltmarsh sharp-tailed as the streaking is not that heavy but that could be due to the time of year.

I'm editing this cause Nelson has been found in Central Park so it may well be a Nelson's. See link:

http://members.tripod.com/~phaedrus64/Nelsons.html

I have 1 picture i can use, its a bit blurry but i can't post it, i don't have a scanner, i scanned my photos yesterday with my cousins scanner who lives in NJ...:(
It doesn't have any of the yellow/orange on it like the Sharp-Tailed and the eye stripe is grayish.

To me the photo most closely resembles the Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow.

Hi pdog,

To me it looks like a swamp not a sharp-tailed sharpie - those breast streaks look much more swamp sparrow like to me not strong enough for shrpie - nelson's even would seem more streaked imho - and the Nelsons also has a grey median stripe which would not contrast so heavily with the lateral crown stripes.

Luke

Had to re-open this thread as I think you could well be right with your ID g-thang. The colors on the picture are weird but if you compare the contrast of the throat to the malar stripe and observe the almost similar shade of the stripe above the malar stripe on the face to the throat color they are almost the same. this would rule out nelsons which has a white throat in the acadian race (not really in the interior) has a darker malar stripe but then a buffy face which surely wouldn't contrast against the malar stripe in virtually exactly the same tone as the white throat. Also weighing against Nelson's is the thin median line and the apparent strong contrast and the dark lores - Nelson's would show neither so I think you can safely rule that out.

An immature swamp would also fit this pattern fairly well but an equally good bet may be the tan-striped form of the white throated not the immature though as that would show heavier streaks on the breast the fact that it was in reeds near the shore may point slightly more towards swamp but I think the white-throated could still be possible.

Luke

(edited: where I had accidently typed white-crowned in the last paragraph instead of white-throated - typing way too late at night and hence Katy's comments below)

Luke, I'm sure you meant to close saying "white-throated." ;)

Adult non-breeding Swamp gets my vote.

White-throateds are a much darker, overall more grayish bird IME making their really boldly patterned face practically pop out at you. Also, (per Sibley) "very sharp, dark lower border of throat" and "sharply outlined white throat [is] distinctive" which this bird doesn't have. While the colors are out of whack in this photo (way too yellow), the rufous-y crown points more to Swamp rather than the charcoal gray of White-throated.

I don't think this is either of the Sharp-tailed spp because, if an immature bird, Nelson's would show a "bright orange-buff" breast with few streaks and Saltmarsh would show "dense streaking". If an adult bird of either of these two spp, there would be no median crown stripe (and again the adult breast doesn't fit in with the photo under consideration).

As always, I'm happy to be disabused of all notions. ;)

I'll try to get the other pic scanned tommorow...i've just been so hella busy moving and house upgrading, its getting annoying!
Ugh.
Thanks all.

After doing some re-evaluation I think the bird is a Swamp Sparrow. I had thought perhaps it was a sharp-tailed but it would be more orangish on the breast with more distinct streaks if it were. Also the median crown stripe while present on both the LeConte's and Nelson Sharp-tailed, is narrower and less distinct than it would be on a Swamp Sparrow. The indistinct smudge of dark on the breast, white throat, darkish crown (with distinct median stripe) and hint of dark (reddish?) primaries IMHO indicate that this bird is a Swamp Sparrow.