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Sparrow ID please. (1 Viewer)

L

lonesome55dove

Active member
Taken 4-23-2015 in Klickitat County, South Central Washington, USA

Any help identifying this sparrow will be greatly appreciated. It has been hanging out with a small flock of White-crowned Sparrows. Thank you. :)


EDIT: I have added a few more photos. I didn't want to taint anyone's thoughts on an ID so I did not mention that there is one lone Golden-crowned Sparrow mixed in with the White-crowned flock and the bird in question. Thanks. :)

#1. Original photo posted
#2. Added w/edit Bird in question, different view
#3. Added w/edit Golden-crowned Sparrow
#4. Added w/edit Bird in question and White-crowned
 

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Looks like a White-throated Sparrow, though the golden forehead seems more extensive than most and the white throat doesn't appear as cleanly marked as on others. Small numbers of White-throated Sparrows winter alongside White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows along the Pacific coast.
 
Solid black lores, no throat patch - looks more like a White-crowned to me, but I can't explain the yellow in the central stripe.
 
avesjohn said:
Looks like a White-throated Sparrow, though the golden forehead seems more extensive than most and the white throat doesn't appear as cleanly marked as on others. Small numbers of White-throated Sparrows winter alongside White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows along the Pacific coast.
Click to expand...


Thank you for your help...my first thought was White-throated but according to my Sibley's guide they are rare in my area so therefore I was totally lost on an ID. :)
 
RJP said:
Solid black lores, no throat patch - looks more like a White-crowned to me, but I can't explain the yellow in the central stripe.
Click to expand...


On another bird site a person suggested maybe the yellow is pollen...I don't think so myself but anything is possible. Thank you for your help. :)
 
No, there are decidedly Golden-crowned Sparrow genes in this beast, as is readily discerned by looking at the OTHER features of this bird than just the yellow on the head. Note that the supraloral area is nearly entirely black, unlike for ANY form of White-crowned, but particularly for any form occurring locally in April, which is a pale-lored form (see map of April occurrence of the dark-lored form, Mountain White-crowned Sparrow. Granted, there is little else (except, perhaps, for the possibly darker tail than is typical for White-crowned) pointing to Golden-crowned, but that would not be unanticipated for an F2 individual with the other parent being a White-crowned Sparrow. No, this is certainly a White-crowned x Golden-crowned Sparrow hybrid.
 
TLeukering said:
No, there are decidedly Golden-crowned Sparrow genes in this beast, as is readily discerned by looking at the OTHER features of this bird than just the yellow on the head. Note that the supraloral area is nearly entirely black, unlike for ANY form of White-crowned, but particularly for any form occurring locally in April, which is a pale-lored form (see map of April occurrence of the dark-lored form, Mountain White-crowned Sparrow. Granted, there is little else (except, perhaps, for the possibly darker tail than is typical for White-crowned) pointing to Golden-crowned, but that would not be unanticipated for an F2 individual with the other parent being a White-crowned Sparrow. No, this is certainly a White-crowned x Golden-crowned Sparrow hybrid.
Click to expand...


Terrific, thank you for your help...I appreciate it very much. I will re-label it as a hybrid. Thanks. :)
 
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