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Song Sparrow? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter lassa8
- Start date
It's not easy on this view, but a concern I have is that the tail gives the impression of being quite noticeably forked at the tip. Song Sparrow should have a rounded or squarish tip. I wondered if Savannah Sparrow might be a possibility but this could be a hard one to resolve.
Michael Frankis
conehead
Have to confess, I can't even tell what species the pine is, let alone the bird!
Michael
Michael
gthang
Ford Focus Fanatic: mmmmmm... 3.1415926535.....
Warbler, a purple finch looks like below:
Purple Finch on the left; Song Sparrow on the right.
Also, Song Sparrows do not have a forked tail, and this picture shows no forked tail. The "forked tail" you see is an object blocking the view (makes it look like it has a forked tail). Also, Purple Finches have a non-patterned breast in the color purple. It's not even close. Some sparrows have finch-like bills, including the Song Sparrow.
Purple Finch on the left; Song Sparrow on the right.
Also, Song Sparrows do not have a forked tail, and this picture shows no forked tail. The "forked tail" you see is an object blocking the view (makes it look like it has a forked tail). Also, Purple Finches have a non-patterned breast in the color purple. It's not even close. Some sparrows have finch-like bills, including the Song Sparrow.
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Jane Turner
Well-known member
Don't laugh... but my first impression was Fox Sparrow - the breast spotting look warm coloured to me
Charles Harper
Régisseur
Nobody's laughing, Jane. Me, too for Fox Sparrow-- long forked tail, dark face, and heavy, rich brown breast streaking with no clear central spot.
Michael Frankis
conehead
It's certainly had everyone foxed, that's for sure 
Warbler
Warbler Watcher
gthang, here's a pic that I took of a female Purple Finch. Compare it to the mystery bird we're trying to i.d.
click here for the pic
click here for the pic
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gthang
Ford Focus Fanatic: mmmmmm... 3.1415926535.....
OK, so maybe it is a Purple Finch, On the mystery bird, there's no central spot, so it could not be any sparrows (that i know of). Sorry about the last post...
You know, now that I see your pic Warbler, i think you might be right, although on your picture, the streaks appear more numerous than on the mystery bird. But, as I'm not as experiences as most of everyone on this site, I could only guesstimate what it could be. Also take into account that for beginners, identifying sparrows and female finches is a daily nightmare.
No need to be sarcastic. We're all friends on here.
You know, now that I see your pic Warbler, i think you might be right, although on your picture, the streaks appear more numerous than on the mystery bird. But, as I'm not as experiences as most of everyone on this site, I could only guesstimate what it could be. Also take into account that for beginners, identifying sparrows and female finches is a daily nightmare.
No need to be sarcastic. We're all friends on here.
Warbler
Warbler Watcher
Sorry about being sarcastic. Everyone starts out as a beginner at some point so I know just what you mean about i.d.ing sparrows and female finches. I agree that the bird in my pic has more streaking but after looking at several photos I decided that's it's quite variable between individual birds. Yeah, I think you're right, that it's not a Fox Sparrow. The reddish color is missing and the bird is more slender (finchlike it seems to me) and not as plump as a Fox would be.
Larry Lade
Moderator
I believe it is a a Fox Sparrow. The streaking on the breast looks right and it appears to have a grayish head. Also looks like a Black-capped Chickadee behind it. (This gives you some idea of a size comparison.)
crispycreme
Well-known member
Also, central breast spots may or may not be visible, even on the more obviously breast-spotted sparrows. Feather wear, pattern variation, or even the position they're sitting in can render the spot invisible or distorted.
The rust-red color also makes me think Fox Sparrow, but I've yet to spot one out in the field so this isn't an 'official guess' (if such a thing exists).
The rust-red color also makes me think Fox Sparrow, but I've yet to spot one out in the field so this isn't an 'official guess' (if such a thing exists).
