What sparrows have you seen? (1 Viewer)

[John Hague]

Here in the North east of England we have 3 types of Sparrows, House,Tree and Dunnocks and all, most welcome.

Dunnock used to be called Hedge Sparrow but is in fact an Accentor. The BOU tried to push the name Hedge Accentor but this was never universally accepted.

As for Old and New World sparows in the UK I've seen House, Tree and Spanish plus White-crowned, White-throated and Dark-eyed Junco for America.
In the WP you can add Rock and Pale Rock Sparrow as well as Dead Sea Sparrow.
Seen plenty of weavers as well in Kenya.

 

[Killdeer]

I have always enjoyed watching sparrows. When I was in grade school my parent's patio cover was a large nesting site for many House sparrows. Watching them from the kitchen table was my first birding experience. I liked to study their behavior as my father attempted several types of covers over the nesting cavities that the roof of the patio cover provided. Dad's behavior was also fun to watch.

I now have four feeders in the back yard of my rural Oklahoma farm which are frequented by sparrows. I have House, Harris, White Crowned and Song Sparrows that are at the feeder nearly every day this winter. I have also seen Field, La Counts ( a real surprise!) and Chipping Sparrows on the property but I am missing Vesper and Savannah sparrows.

Here in the UK, as I,m sure you're aware, we have to make do with very few sparrow species. I have seen some American vagrants over here however,including White crowned twice, White throated twice and Song Sparrows.

Anyway, to get to the point, I was just thinking how nice it would be if you could set up a webcam or two pointing at your feeders.

 

[ColonelBlimp]

Well up to last week all I had seen was the lowly house sparrow (and the dunnock although I don't think that counts).

I went to Bempton hoping to see just one of their elusive tree sparrows. I go there and there are about 90 on the feeders!

 

[John Hague]

I went to Bempton hoping to see just one of their elusive tree sparrows. I go there and there are about 90 on the feeders!

Good count at Bempton, what are the photo opportunities like?

 

[Peewit]

Don't think dunnocks are actually sparrows.

You are correct in what you say here. Well I never knew that. We learn something new everyday. :brains:

http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/nature/pictures/large-insects.asp?pic=76

Dunnocks are not related to Sparrows at all, as the above link states

Another one I have not seen, but have taken note of is the Tree Sparrow. They seen to be more abundant in Ireland.

 

[Ken Hall]

You are correct in what you say here. Well I never knew that. We learn something new everyday. :brains:

http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/nature/pictures/large-insects.asp?pic=76

Dunnocks are not related to Sparrows at all, as the above link states

Another one I have not seen, but have taken note of is the Tree Sparrow. They seen to be more abundant in Ireland.

They are really smart birds. Always a good number of them at RSPB Loch of Strathbeg.

 

[Peewit]

They are really smart birds. Always a good number of them at RSPB Loch of Strathbeg.

Hi Ken

Thank you for your picture.

Yes they look very smart, and handsome. There appears to be a lot of white markings around their faces/bibs which make them stand out. :t:

How distributed are they in the UK now?

 

[Steve Lister]

In the UK....

House Sparrow
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow

plus Europe/WP....

Spanish Sparrow
Dead Sea Sparrow
Desert Sparrow
Rock Sparrow
Pale Rock Sparrow
White-winged Snowfinch

plus Asia...

Sind Sparrow
Russet Sparrow
Chestnut-shouldered Petronia
Yellow-throated Sparrow

plus Africa...

Kenya Rufous Sparrow
Shelley's Rufous Sparrow
Grey-headed Sparrow
Swainson's Sparrow
Parrot-billed Sparrow
Chestnut Sparrow
Bush Petronia

and the Americas....

Orange-billed S.
Half-collared S.
Golden-winged S.
Olive S.
Black-striped S.
White-eared Ground-S.
Eastern Towhee
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Canyon Towhee
Abert's Towhee
Stripe-headed S.
Botteri's S.
Cassin's S.
Rufous-crowned S.
Rufous-winged S.
Zapata S.
Chipping S.
Brewer's S.
Field S.
Vesper S.
Lark S.
Black-throated S.
Lark Bunting
Savannah S.
Le Conte's S.
Grasshopper S
Grassland S.
Yellow-browed S.
Fox S.
Song S.
Lincoln's S.
Swamp S.
White-throated S.
Rufous-collared S.
Dark-eyed Junco
Yellow-eyed Junco
Volcano Junco

plus various ground-finches, brush-finches, buntings, Darwin's finches, etc, all of which are in the same family as the new-world sparrows.

Steve

 

[ColonelBlimp]

Good count at Bempton, what are the photo opportunities like?

The best place to see them is the mini-hide by the feeders. I'm not a great photographer, but even though there are nice places to set up a tripod the area is shaded by dense hedge so the light level wasn't great, although this was at about 4 in the afternoon.

Well worth a go though!

 

[ColonelBlimp]

I might have been exaggerating (a lot) with the 90 but there were certainly a great number!

 

[reuven123]

I've seen:

Eastern Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
House Sparrow

 

[Barawic]

I've seen
house sparrow
tree sparrow
white-crowned sparrow

In Europe
spanish sparrow.

Good places for tree sparrows are Martin Mere and also Bempton Cliffs. Generally I believe they inhabit areas with old hedged. In Knutsford there is still one place that they can be found but have been declining in numbers.

The RSPB lists the tree sparrow as a red list bird

Cheers,
Barawic

 

[canadagurl123]

I've seen:
House Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Brewers Sparrow
Clay coloured Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Baird's Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
vesper Sparrow
Harris's Sparrow
Golden crowned Sparrow
White throated Sparrow
White crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Dark eyed Junco

 

[Birdingcraft]

I observed the Five-striped Sparrow on August 6, 2006 near Ruby, Arizona.

Most of the sparrows I have seen in the states were seen in Missouri, my home state. But I have seen some of them in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Jersery and one in Texas which I omitted to list above, the Olive Sparrow.

I still need Five-striped!
Here in Costa Rica, any sparrow from the north would be an awesome vagrant.
In the USA and Canada I have seen most recognized Sparrow species. I am missing the afore-mentioned Five-striped, Zapata Sparrow from Cuba, Sierra Madre, Bridled and Black-chested, Worthen's and Sumichrast's Sparrows from Mexico (I was there before the Howell bird finding guide). Also still need Grassland Sparrow and I think there is an Amophila sp. from southern South America or Brazil that I still need.

Have only seen House, Eurasian Tree and Plain-backed Sparrows in the Old World.

 

[canadagurl123]

Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Field sparrow
Seaside Sparrow
In Italy and eastern NA

 

[Mysticete]

I have seen 3 "true sparrows" (Passeridae), 34 New World Sparrows (Passerellidae), 4 longspurs (Calcariidae), and 8 "true buntings" (Emberizidae). All the New World Sparrows and longspurs are ABA (although I did see Snow Bunting in England during my visit).

Not counted separately, but I have seen all the Fox Sparrows and almost all the Dark-eyed Juncos (only missing White-winged).

For ABA I still need Eurasian Tree Sparrow and 8 native species. Not done well at all on the marsh species.

 

[JTweedie]

I've only seen two:

House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow

Both in Scotland. I saw a sparrow in Italy years ago, but I guess it was a House Sparrow, but at the time I wasn't aware there were lots of other sparrow species out there otherwise I would have looked more closely.

 

[chris butterworth]

.......... and just to chuck the cat among the "Sparrows" Petronias are probably rather close to Pipits and Wagtails - miles away from Sparrows ( OW ) and Buntings ( NW ).

Chris

 

[birding maniac]

Uk:
House
Tree
Europe:
Rock
Spanish
N.America:
White crowned
White throated
Dark eyed junco

Is there one for how many buntings?

 

[Tiraya]

A junco or towhee is as much a sparrow as a Yellowhammer, so:


Emberizidae:
Yellowhammer
Reed Bunting
Lazuli Bunting (pos.)
American Tree Sparrow
Clay-coloured Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-coloured and Oregon)
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee

Passeridae:
House Sparrow


Been looking for Tree Sparrows in England (and Australia) for many, many years but still yet to see any, despite chasing virtually every local sighting.

Also saw a Timberline Sparrow once, but it was a very brief flyover, and Sage/Lark/Fox Sparrow should be rather easy to pick up now I'm in California.


This guy has 49 species of "Sparrows", and many other Buntings which without using the Ctrl+F search function I don't have the patience to count. That link is not for slow PCs.