A recent comment by Joanne Noragon made me realize that the number and diversity of sparrows unique to North America are doubtless unfamiliar to many. A little brown bird in the backyard is likely to be referred to as a "sparrow", without knowing that it might be one of several species found in your area. So, Joanne's remark provided me with the impetus to do a couple of posts about some of the stunning little birds you might see in your yard, and perhaps they will lead you to identify them too. Putting a name to a bird, or any other organism for that matter, is always satisfying. If you are feeding birds, (and more people than ever are doing so), you might as well be able to name the ones that visit for a free meal! As long as I have some reasonable pictures I will cover many of the familiar visitors over the course of two or three posts.
Let me begin with the most likely species and the one that is certainly familiar to all - an "alien" species, deliberately introduced into North America, with unforeseen consequences for our native cavity-nesting birds. It is an Old World Sparrow (family: Passeridae), is quite distinct from those species only found in the Americas, and is considered by many a pest. Let me remind you that WE, humans like you and me, after full consideration brought it here deliberately. Having done so, let's be kind to it.
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
A male House Sparrow is a handsome bird indeed.
The intensity and extent of the black bib indicates the overall fitness of the male, and females will select for those males whose throat adornment is bold and appealing.
It is generally believed that such a robust individual is more resistant to parasite loads than those with inferior plumage, and on this basis the female is able to mate with a premium male with good genes to pass on to her offspring. Such a strong male, able to dominate others, will also be a good provider and assist in raising the young. The female is delightful, in subtle hues of brown and beige, delicately and demurely attired.
Make no mistake, however, she is tough, and is a dedicated mother to her nestlings, providing non stop feeding and care, even after they fledge from the nest.
Let us now turn our attention to the family Passerellidae, or New World Sparrows, found only in the Americas as the name implies. I am covering the five species I have chosen today in taxonomic sequence, not in terms of their likely frequency in your neighbourhood, but if you live where they occur you have a very good chance of seeing them.
Red Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca)
There are several species of Fox Sparrow once considered subspecies of a single form, that have now been reassigned taxonomically as a result of molecular analysis, and the newly minted full species in my area is Red Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca).
This is a very handsome sparrow and you can readily appreciate why it is known as a RED Fox Sparrow. It is characterized by a very pleasing rusty hue. It is a relatively large, chunky sparrow, and may generally be found feeding on the ground. It may alight on a feeder but I have never witnessed it.
In the picture above, a House Sparrow is behind the Red Fox Sparrow, giving a clear indication of just how different the two species are.
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
This is one of the most familiar sparrows of all, with distribution right across the continent. In southern Ontario it is principally a migratory species, but a few hardy individuals tough out the winter here.
It may be easily identified by the streaky breast merging to a central dark spot and by the long tail.
Males commonly locate a high perch from which to belt out their incessant song, warning off other males and hoping to attract a female. The song is easy to recognize, comprising two to four loud, clear whistles on the same pitch, followed by a trill.
More often than not the male announces his presence before you see the bird; you are then drawn to it by the incessant repetition.
This is a bird that is ubiquitous, easy to find, and it is not reluctant to come to your feeders. If you have not previously identified different species, Song Sparrow is a good candidate on which to hone your ID skills.
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
It would be difficult to mistake or misidentify a Dark-eyed Junco a true northener, who generally appears in our backyards around the end of October/early November.
There are several subspecies of this little bird, and depending on where you live, it can look different enough to be taken for another species. The form here in central/eastern North America is known as slate coloured, and it is apparent why this name is appropriate, especially when viewing the male.
The female, and the young of the year, are more subdued, with paler greys and browns.
Both sexes have striking white outer tail feathers, very visible in flight, but this character is somewhat duller in females.
This is a species that can easily be attracted to your feeders, sometimes arriving in small groups of eight to twelve individuals. They are undeterred by even the most vile of winter weather and provide great entertainment as they dig for food in the snow.
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides aborea)
This is an enchanting species, delicate, subdued, understated, refined.
It arrives from its breeding grounds on the tundra about the same time as Dark-eyed Junco, and copes with winter without apparent difficulty.
With very little practice this species is easy to identify.
It has a rufous cap, prominent white wing bars, a plain breast with a central spot, and bicoloured mandibles. This means that the upper part of the beak is dark and the lower part yellow with a dusky tip, clearly shown in the picture above.
The picture above was taken in our backyard from inside the house, and even at a distance you can see all of the identifying marks quite clearly. Once you learn to recognize this species you will be happy to welcome it to your feeders where it will be a constant source of joy.
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)
You will quickly learn to recognize this tiny sparrow, whose appearance is quite distinctive.
It has a rusty cap, black line through the eye, white supercilium, a dark bill, long notched tail and a plain breast. Often several individuals will be present in your yard, and once they find a reliable source of food they tend to return frequently.
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater), a brood parasitic bird, is known to favour Chipping Sparrows as a host species, and it is not unusual to observe a Chipping Sparrow feeding a gargantuan young cowbird.
There is a tendency by humans to feel a great sense of injustice at this behaviour, but nature is playing out in ways that do not conform to human sensibilities, and we should be elated that we are able to observe nature writ large.
Juvenile Chipping Sparrows look quite different from their parents, and first identification is best made by observing young birds associating with their parents.
You will be amazed at how quickly you will be able to identify them independently, but probably better to focus on adult birds initially. I hope you have enjoyed this first installment of "Sparrow ID 101". It has been fun putting it together.
