Which Sparrow Is That?

Today I strolled through Luria Park, taking the boardwalk, crossing the creek on the rocky muddy trail while the bridge is still under construction, and walking around the path that circles the open field. It was mid-afternoon and bird activity is generally slower in the shank of the day, with the birds spending time in the brush and out of sight. I did manage to find three different species of sparrows that are common to our neighborhood. Here is a primer for telling the difference between them.

First is the Song Sparrow.

This little fellow was taking a drink in the stream near the bridge. You can tell he is a Song Sparrow by the rust-colored streaks on his head and below the eyes. He also has small dots of black below and on either side of his beak. This called the "mustache" or malar stripe.

Second is the White-Throated Sparrow.

This little girl was rifling through leaves by the stream near the playground. The White-Throated Sparrow has two distinctive yellow dots near the top of the beak. There is a white patch below the beak near the "throat." The White-Throated Sparrow has brown on top of the head and grey below. But look for those yellow spots which are very bold on the male and less so as on this female (above).

And third is the House Sparrow.

I found this guy along with his duller mate in a tangle of shrubbery on the south side of Luria Park. The House Sparrow is an introduced species to North America from Europe. The male House Sparrow is identified by gray heads, rufous (brown) sides of the head, and a black bib which also touches his eyes. The House Sparrow is often resented as it can be aggressive and kick other birds out of nests.

So, now you can go out and tell the difference between our most common three area Sparrows!

(all photographs taken n Luria Park on April 9th, 2014)

Why a Raymondale bird blog? Dan and Beth Fedorko have been inventorying birds for Cornell University's Backyard Bird Count (www.feederwatch.org) which runs November through April each year. This inventory keeps track of migratory patterns, possible diseases, and decline and increase in bird populations. In response to the Raymondale Environmental Stewardship Task Force, we have started this blog which is separate from the general Raymondale news blog and more personal, to share our finds and photographs. If you see any birds in the neighborhood and surrounding parkland, please send us a photo! We'll help you identify it and might even post it on the blog!