[Al Kat]

The first bird was taken buy a freind who insist it is a Black-Wiskered Vireo.If so it is a long way out of range The pictures were take late May 2007

The second bird is also out of range if it is a Ipswich Sparrow.Taken in early May 2008

Both birds taken in Southern Ontario

[cnybirder]

Red-eyed Vireo and a Savannah Sparrow.

[apbarr]

Originally Posted by cnybirder

Red-eyed Vireo and a Savannah Sparrow.

Why?

[cnybirder]

Originally Posted by apbarr

Why?

Even though the Vireo seems to a have a lateral throat stripe it does have the green back and gray crown with dark border. Plus, it would be very unlikely (but that doesn't influence my opinion).

The yellow looks to yellow to be Ipswich to me.

[njlarsen]

The vireo I belive to be the red-eyed version (at least not B-w Vireo), because as I know the B-w, it has a huge bill. I could not find an image here with a direct side view of the whole bill, but most of the bill is visible in http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/sho...p?photo=191633. Do a search in the gallery here for three more images (search for Vireo altiloquus).

I don't know the sparrow, but the first thing that reached my mind was Grasshopper sparrow, don't that have that orange-buffy eye-brow? I am not saying this is one, just that it needs to be excluded.

Niels

[J. Moore]

This thread has gotten a bit confusing. Ipswich Sparrow is a subspecies of Savannah Sparrow (it was formerly considered a separate species), so saying it is a Savannah Sparrow does not really answer the question asked (since all Ipswich sparrows are also Savannahs).

In any event, I agree this bird is of the species Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis). The yellow lores together with obvious characteristics excluding the only other yellow lored sparrows (white-throated and seaside), are diagnostic.

As for the subspecies, there are a lot of somewhat pale races of Savannah Sparrow, so just because you have a somewhat pale bird does not mean it is an Ipswich. Looking at the photos in my sparrow book (Beadle & Rising) this bird looks to be pretty much an exact match for photo 30.8, which was taken in Ontario Canada and is described as a "typical Eastern individual", P. s. savanna. The photos of Ipswich sparrows (P. s. princeps) show birds that are both lighter and distinctly grayer on the back and head. So I think it is not an Ipswich sparrow.

Best,
Jim

[cnybirder]

Originally Posted by J. Moore

This thread has gotten a bit confusing. Ipswich Sparrow is a subspecies of Savannah Sparrow (it was formerly considered a separate species), so saying it is a Savannah Sparrow does not really answer the question asked (since all Ipswich sparrows are also Savannahs).

Best,
Jim

I was aware that Ipswich is a subspecies of Savannah. What I meant is that it is just the nominate subspecies that is generally found in the OP's area, and thus not an Savannah "Ipswich" Sparrow. I just didn't remember the exact scientific name for it as I didn't have my guides at the time. I probably could have been clearer.

[JANJ]

Red-eyed Vireo - and for the reasons made by Niels

Regarding probable 'Ipswich Sparrow' I agree with Jim.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread....pswich+sparrow

JanJ