So, you’re going to half to break down and learn the parts of the bird… and I don’t mean just head, legs and wings! There are some specific parts to look at when you see an LBJ in the bushes or on the ground. You’ll need to learn a few new words so we’re all talking about the same thing. These will get you started:
Crown, Supercillium, Eye-line, Eye-ring, Lore, Cheek, Mustatial Stripe, Sub-mustatial Stripe, Malar Stripe, Throat, and Chest.
In the front of every bird guide, there should be some sketches like the one below pointing out all of these same things. Live it, learn it, love it. It will make these sparrows much less problematic!
One special mention about the chest- they typically come in three varieties: plain, a little streaky and very streaky. This is often a very key piece of information to notice as it can separate out different sparrows fairly quickly.
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| Plain, light streak, and heavy streak chests (left to right) |
OK- you’ve got the basics of what we’re going to look at. Now, how do you look at these birds? Since these birds are often in the weeds or the bushes, you’ll want to grab as many ID markings as possible. You may not get all of them, but by piecing together enough parts you can start to get an impression of what you're looking at.
Start at the chest- streaky or plain? This will start to eliminate some candidates right away.
Then move to the crown and work you way down the head. Several observations are needed here to help with the ID.
- What color is the crown?
- What color is the supercillium?
- Is there an eye-line? What about an eye-ring?
- Any color on the lore?
- What color is the cheek?
- Is there a moustatial, sub-moustatial, or malar stripe?
- Is the throat conspicuous in color?
Sometimes it helps to say the answer to these questions out loud. If you're unsure, talk about what you saw with a friend that is looking at the same bird. I've even taken to writing down what the bird looked like BEFORE I start looking through a field guide or app. Sometimes those field guides can be suggestive and start to change you what you remember.
And don't be afraid to say "It's a sparrow!" and go on with your day. Sometimes they just don't give you a good look, even after dang near 45 minutes of seeing it.
And don't be afraid to say "It's a sparrow!" and go on with your day. Sometimes they just don't give you a good look, even after dang near 45 minutes of seeing it.
BEHAVIOR
This section takes a little more time in the field. It could be considered part of the larger concept of natural observation- in the spirit of John Muir or Aldo Leopold. Taking the time to watch these birds feed, socialize, move around, and of course, fly away can give you some extra insights and field marks to help narrow down what you have. For instance, of the sparrows we are concerned with, there are only two whose outside tail feathers are white (Lark and Vesper) - an easy field mark to see. Go out and watch to see if your target bird is running or hopping when it is on the ground. Those two actions may not sound very different- but you'd be surprised how different they look when a bird does it! Enjoy these little birds for what they are... LBJs with loads of interesting traits and characteristics.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Alright. Time to put things together. You know where you are, you know the habitat that's around you, and you know that little bird in front of you is different shades of brown. But how do you come up with an ID? I mentioned before about talking through the characteristics- you should concentrate on saying the things you see (if only in your head) and getting a mental image of the bird BEFORE you hit the books. If you can describe the bird- or recognize a bird based on it's verbal description, you're on your way to loving sparrows! And by the way, this method works for any other bird you're unsure of too!
And a quick note about the standard field guides (Sibley's, National Geographic, Petersons etc)... or rather a note about biology. Biology is noisy. Not every bird you see in the field will match up with what you see in the book. Many field guides try to capture the "averages" and represent each bird with a middle-of-the-road image of what they should look like. They do a good job, but can't capture the diversity and variation found in natural populations. Even guide books that use photos (like Crossley, the Audubon app, or iBird Pro app) can only put so many pictures in their publications. You'll eventually need to fall back on the things you saw (and jotted down!) in the field.
Instead of posting more pictures of sparrows for you to look at, I thought I'd list some of the key characteristics of each one that we have been talking about. These aren't technical descriptions, but can contain some specific details. These descriptions are more about the general impression of shape and size (GISS)- a phrase that you'll see throughout birding literature. As you practice and see more birds, you'll start to recognize the colors, patterns, and behaviors. Promise!
Chipping: A backyard sparrow with a rusty cap and a black mascara eyeline
Savannah: In the Brazos, this is your default sparrow- especially along roadsides and fence lines. Lots of variation, but generally light brown with a stripy chest and a yellow lore. Bright hot pink/orange legs.
Song: Another sparrow with some variation, but always has a very stripy chest with a spot in the middle, and very contrasty sub-moustatial stripe (creamy) and malar stripe (dark brown) and a long tail. Often found near water.
Lincoln's: Greyish bird with a rusty cap and back. Cap is often crested with very fine streaking on upper chest. Often found near water.
Swamp: Usually only get quick glimpses of this rusty-capped and -backed, grey-faced bird that lives in reedy, marshy edges. Black accent lines breaks up the grey face, but color is obvious.
White-throated: Eastern woodland sparrow. Very common in suburban parks and wooded areas. Eye catching white throat and yellow lore on adults. Beware of poorly marked/drab looking immature individuals! They will usually be hanging out near a well marked adult.
White-crowned: Dapper sparrow. Formal black and white striping from crest to eye-line. Grey on rest of face and chest. Check wood piles and fence lines in agriculture areas. Watch out for the juveniles! Black will be brown and white will be grey- should be close by the adults though.
Field: Cherubic! Sweet face with light greys and browns. White eye ring and bright pink/orange bill. Found in suburban parks and wooded edges.
Lark: Harlequin sparrow- lots of brown, black and white stripes. White outer tail feathers. Found our towards the country.
Vesper: A sparrow distinctive for it's lack of distinctions. Medium brown with stripy chest similar to Savannah. White eye ring, white outside tail feathers, and country living make it easier to identify.
***BONUS SPARROWS*** to round out your lists!
LeConte's: Found in native grasses and prairie areas (read: not found in very many places). Secretive and sneaky- likes fly, land and run to sneak away. Smaller sparrow with yellow supercilium and malar; grey cheek.
Fox: Big for a sparrow with significant striping on the chest. Light rust colored, with white bellies and grey on the face. Found in dense thickets and are usually shy.
Harris's: Very distinct sparrow found in weedy fields, hedgerows, fence lines and edge woods. Often found with White-crowned sparrows. Bright white chest and belly, very black crest, lores, throat and sometimes chest. Difficult to find, but distinct when you see it.
Grasshopper: Smaller sparrow of grasslands and pastures. Often vexing to see since when they flush, they fly away quickly, drop into tall grasses, and run! Dark brown crown, yellow to buffy supercilium and yellow lore. Face fairly plain with greys and yellows.
Now you know the basics of sparrows. But as they say, knowing and doing are two different things. So why not do some doing and come see some sparrows with us this weekend at Washington on the Brazos State Park for our annual 12x12 field trip!
Stay tuned for a couple of ID challenges later this week!
Additional resources and books for sparrows:
Photo Guides:
Drawn Guides:
Birds of Texas by our own Keith Arnold
Web resources:
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