Ohio U.S.A, ID please (1 Viewer)

weather

Pirate name: Poncy Henry Goodfellow

• May 28, 2009

• #1

Hi all,

It's been awhile since I've been on here, but I have a bird that's making me nuts. Me and a friend came across this little guy in a marsh. At first it's behavior was that of a Rail or a Sora, but then it flew up into some trees and we lost it. What do you good people think it is? Most folks here think it's a Swamp Sparrow without a tail...
Thanks,
Mike

 

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J

Jim M.

Member since 2007

Supporter

• May 28, 2009

• #2

weather said:

Most folks here think it's a Swamp Sparrow without a tail...

Click to expand...

Hi Mike,

That's what it appears to be. Did you have some reason for resisting that conclusion?

Best,
Jim

 

weather

Pirate name: Poncy Henry Goodfellow

• May 28, 2009

• #3

J. Moore said:

Hi Mike,

That's what it appears to be. Did you have some reason for resisting that conclusion?

Best,
Jim

Click to expand...

Hi Jim,

Yeah, it's behavior was that of a Rail, and I have never seen a Sparrow without a tail. The pictures are not great, and is hard to tell, but it's tail looked exactly like a Sora or Rail. It didn't appear to look as if it's tail was lost due to some kinda trauma.

Mike

 

OK Birder

Life is good!

• May 28, 2009

• #4

It looks like a Swamp Sparrow without a tail to me.

Birds sometimes lose their tails when escaping from a predator, such as a cat. Staying low to the ground and in dense brush is typical Swamp Sparrow behavior.

 

chris butterworth

aka The Person Named Above

• May 28, 2009

• #5

I'd go with Swamp Sparrow. Small birds often loose their tail feathers escaping from predators, usually just one or two, but often the whole thing.
Chris

 

marie b

Well-known member

• May 28, 2009

• #6

There sure seems to be a black and white creature in the upper left corner -- black mask on white face, mouth open in 2nd pic (as if it had just grabbed some tail??).
Could it be my imagination???
Marie|:S|

 

J

Jim M.

Member since 2007

Supporter

• May 28, 2009

• #7

weather said:

Hi Jim,

Yeah, it's behavior was that of a Rail, and I have never seen a Sparrow without a tail. The pictures are not great, and is hard to tell, but it's tail looked exactly like a Sora or Rail. It didn't appear to look as if it's tail was lost due to some kinda trauma.

Mike

Click to expand...

As others have suggested, skulking like a rail is not unusual for a Swamp Sparrow. Nor is missing a tail. But perhaps it was being extra-secretive after having been traumatized by a predator -- perhaps also wanting to hide because it was feeling a bit more vulnerable than usual.

Best,
Jim

 

Birdbrain22

Well-known member

• May 28, 2009

• #8

Agree with the Swamp Sparrow ID.