Sparrow sp. - Thursday - Spring Mountains, Nevada (1 Viewer)

[foresttwitcher]

Is there enough in this terrible photo to ID this US Sparrow? In pine / aspen forest at about 8,000ft in Spring Mountains, near Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

[rkj]

I am drawing a blank at the moment, but it might help to know the date of the photo.

 

[foresttwitcher]

As i

I am drawing a blank at the moment, but it might help to know the date of the photo.

As in the thread title Thursday 17th August.

 

[rkj]

Sorry, still drawing a blank. Hope you have plans for Hilary.

 

[THE_FERN]

Without certainty, I'd go for chipping: incomplete eye ring, for example

 

[tom baxter]

Tough one. It’s Spizella sp. hard to tell due to photo quality but probably Chipping Sparrow because it looks like it might have dark lores and the color of the facial pattern. Otherwise it could be Brewer’s. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen Brewer’s, but I’m pretty sure they have long tails and are shaped a lot like a Field Sparrow.

 

[foresttwitcher]

Thanks rjk, THE_FERN & tom - much appreciated. I had seen a Chipping higher up so I guess that is the answer.

 

[foresttwitcher]

Hope you have plans for Hilary.

I'm further north now so hoping to miss the worst.

 

[KC Foggin]

Chipping for me

 

[rkj]

Might be a Chipping Sparrow; I have no better suggestion. But I have a hard time reconciling what looks like a very heavy dark moustachial stripe with Chipping or any Spizella. It could be photo artifact, but if it is, then what else might be?

 

[tom baxter]

Might be a Chipping Sparrow; I have no better suggestion. But I have a hard time reconciling what looks like a very heavy dark moustachial stripe with Chipping or any Spizella. It could be photo artifact, but if it is, then what else might be?

I think clay colored is possible but I don’t think it’s that because I think it has dark lores. Hard to be sure.

 

[foresttwitcher]

Thanks for putting the effort in on such a bad photograph. I've attached some more I recovered from the recycle bin in case they are of any assistance - they will inevitably be worse so I'm not expecting anything definitive.

 

[rkj]

The new photos do confirm that none of the markings is an artifact of one photo, but, as you say, I don't think there is anything new that is definitive. Overall, Chipping Sparrow looks like the best guess.

 

[tom baxter]

There was a photo’d Clay-colored Sparrow today in Henderson, NV, which is essentially the same region as Las Vegas and Spring Mountains for anyone unfamiliar with the area. Seems they may be “in” for their window of migration, adding to the possibility. It does seem like a possibility in the photos from our original post here. The mustacial stripe sure looks like Clay-colored. Wish the resolution of the bird was a little higher.

 

[foresttwitcher]

Thanks again rjk & tom. I had not considered Clay-coloured as it looked well out of range in the maps in my NatGeo guide.

They are zoomed smartphone shots so I'm not surprised the quality is too poor. I'll leave it as un-ID'ed (as with so many Sparrows & Flycatchers from this trip!).