You are probably right, but the streaking is so fine and crisp, and it seems to end abruptly, and the bill is dainty and pointed looking. How do these traits weigh against the lack of colour that we would expect for lincoln's?
Scott
Scott -
Although this is fine streaking for a Song sparrow - a Lincoln's streaks would be still a bit daintier - not as blotchy as these streaks are- and would be blackish. A Lincoln's is golden buffy where it is streaked at the upper breast. The buffy color ends abruptly as well as the streaking and contrasts with the rest of the breast. Here the streaking is on a white breast, and it is brownish.
The face of this bird is a typical song sparrow. It is gray both above and below the eye, and has no eye ring.
A Lincolns would be gray above the eye, but golden buffy in the auriculars, and the submoustachial stripe would be buffy - not white. The Lincoln's eye ring, although fine and buffy, is still pronounced enough in the field to give it a "wide-eyed" look.
I think in general, field guides do a poor job with the Lincoln's. Its more distinctive in the field than they lead you to believe.
