Big Morongo, S Cal, USA end of April (1 Viewer)

[njlarsen]

Here are two images of a sparrow that played at being a mouse, more often below than above the leaf-litter. I think it is a Song Sparrow, but is that correct? These are the only two images I got.
Niels

 

[Microtus]

Yes, it is a Song Sparrow.

 

[njlarsen]

Thanks Microtus.

Second question: woodpeckers hybrid or pure . There are two birds so two posts. The first one has a red cap covering forward to the eyes and therefore should be Ladderbacked but it has these in favor of Nuttalls: wider black bars in the face; wider black bar on the top of the back; and outer tail feathers with sparse barring.

Big Morongo has reports of both species commonly and slightly less commonly of hybrids.

https://ebird.org/barchart?r=L420195&yr=all&m=

Niels

 

[njlarsen]

Second bird shortly after shows more items in favor of Nuttall's, such as limited extent of red in the cap, wide black on top of back and width of black bars in face. However, it also shows buffy outer tail feathers and buffy colors seems to be more common in Ladderbacks. So is this enough to indicate hybrid origin?
Niels

 

[pbjosh]

Thanks Microtus.

Second question: woodpeckers hybrid or pure . There are two birds so two posts. The first one has a red cap covering forward to the eyes and therefore should be Ladderbacked but it has these in favor of Nuttalls: wider black bars in the face; wider black bar on the top of the back; and outer tail feathers with sparse barring.

Big Morongo has reports of both species commonly and slightly less commonly of hybrids.

https://ebird.org/barchart?r=L420195&yr=all&m=

Niels
View attachment 1445471

The amount of black at the top of the back can be tricky to interpret from one photo, and the face barring doesn't look overly strong. I'm no expert on this species pair but see them quite a bit, off the top of my head this looks pretty ok for a Ladder-backed but I'm keen to hear if others disagree.

 

[pbjosh]

I agree the second bird looks more like Nuttall's - however I'm again no expert and have never looked at them critically like this, so keen to hear other takes / thoughts.

 

[njlarsen]

Thanks Josh,
I should add that I have more images but not any fundamentally different angles. My writing is from looking at the series not from just this one image.
Niels

 

[njlarsen]

I uploaded these to a different site as well. A seemingly local birder answered (me paraphrasing his response) that he does not bother with id of these woodies in that particular location, they go in as hybrids more or less all of them. They would have to show pure plumage and having given a species specific vocalization before he would bother. If the local population really is a hybrid swarm, this might be the safest approach. I did not hear vocalization, though I did hear drumming (but maybe only drumming of the sort intended for feeding, not for territorial purposes).
Niels