Week 3: Advanced Mid Elevation
Scroll down to study the birds by sight and sound, and then take the quiz.
Week 3 Birds
Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, House Sparrow, European Starling
Fox sparrow
Bird Code: FOSP
Identify this bird by…
Head and back are gray. Base of bill is yellowish orange in winter, darker and more grayish in summer
Wings and tail are bright rufous
Males and females look the same
Tell it apart by …
Look for…
Behavior — They spend a lot of time on the ground, using their sturdy legs to kick away leaf litter in search of insects and seeds. They rarely venture far from cover!
Listen for…
Song: A sequence of rich, whistled, and burry notes.
They can be thought of as sounding like “drunk” song sparrows, because their song is more haphazard and varied
Call: A “tewk” that is slightly downslurred
Resources:
SONG SPARROW
Bird Code: SOSP
Identify this bird by…
Streaky and brown with thick streaks on a white chest and flanks
Head is an mix of warm red-brown and a slaty gray eyebrow
Males and females look the same
Tell it apart by …
Look for…
Behavior — Male Song Sparrows sing from exposed perches such as small trees
Listen for…
Call: The call note is a warm, rounded “Chimp!”
Song: ~3 very bouncy introductory syllables which are followed by a complex series of notes (some say sounding like “tow-wee,”) and then a trill
Resources:
Lincoln’s sparrow
Bird Code: LISP
Identify this bird by…
Streaky brown, buffy, and gray overall with rusty edges to its wings and tail
Gray face with pale eye ring
Males and females look the same
Tell it apart by…
Distinguished from juvenile Song Sparrow by shorter tail, slimmer bill, and thinner malar “mustache” stripe
Neat appearance with fine crisp streaks, while Song Sparrows have coarser streaks
Look for …
Behavior - Very secretive birds that forage on or near the ground, rarely straying far from dense cover. During breeding, males sing from exposed perches or tucked inside a shrub
Listen for…
Call: Two call notes: a flat “tschup” repeated in a series as an alarm and a sharp buzzy “zeee.”
Song: Rich, warbling, continuous jumble of chirping trills with several pitch changes. Usually start out at lower pitches, then burst into higher, and then drop back to lower.
Resources:
House Sparrow
Bird Code: HOSP
Identify this bird by…
Chunky, full-breasted bird
Round head and stout bill
Males and females do not look the same
Tell it apart by…
Males: Gray crown, white cheeks, black bib, chestnut neck, black bill
Females: Plain buffy brown overall, and buffy “eyebrow.” Backs are noticeably striped with buff, black, and brown
Look for …
Behavior - They are noisy sparrows that flutter down from eaves and fencerows to hop and peck at crumbs or birdseed. Look for them flying in and out of nest holes hidden behind shop signs or in traffic lights, or hanging around parking lots waiting for crumbs and picking insects off car grills.
Listen for…
Call: The HOSP sings a series of nearly identical chirps. Listen to the toneless quality, and the downward inflection of these chirps. They also rattle and chatter.
Resources:
European starling
Bird Code: EUST
Identify this bird by…
Chunky and blackbird sized. Short tail, long slender bill
In flight, wings are short and pointed
Males and females look alike
Tell it apart by …
Breeding birds are dark overall with purplish green iridescent and yellow bills
Non-breeding birds have spots on their back and underparts. Their bill is black, but turns yellow as breeding season approaches
Look for …
Behavior - Starlings are boisterous, loud, and they travel in large group. They race across fields, beak down and probing the grass for food; or they sit high on wires or trees making a constant stream of rattles, whirrs, and whistles.
Listen for…
Song: EUST can make all sorts of different noises, and they often imitate other birds. Be careful when you are out in the field to make sure the bird you are hearing isn’t a just a EUST doing some mimicry! Their song is mainly harsh rattling and high, thin, slurred whistles. Listen especially for the, high, squeaky or wheezy notes, and the characteristic “wolf whistle”
Resources:
Feeling ready? Take the quiz!
Feeling ready? Take the Quiz!