STUDY FIELD GUIDE TO DISTINGUISH ONE TINY SPARROW FROM ANOTHER

Savannah Sparrow

Photo courtesy of Sharon Milligan

(If you would like to learn more about Judy, and see more of Sharon's photos, click on the blue title above, where you can read previously posted articles)

  Subtleties of head and breast patterns distinguish sparrows, small brown-bodied birds with eclectic habitat preferences.

   By employing the divide-and-conquer method of bird identification, you can put some fun into the game of identifying sparrows, and you will get to know some of the most charming birds in all the world.

   In North America, the word sparrow is contained in the names of 34 species, two of which -- the House Sparrow and the Eurasian Tree Sparrow -- are not true sparrows, so make that 32 species. While I don't wish to muddy the waters, there is one species, a true sparrow, that does not have sparrow in its name: the Lark Bunting. It is included in the resulting 33 species with which we are concerned.

   Only 21 of the 33 occur in Mississippi, and only 20 of them have ever been seen on the Coast. To save you time and some head work, they are Bachman's, Chipping, Clay-colored, Field, Vesper, Lark, Savannah, Grasshopper, Henslow's, Le Conte's, Sharp-tailed, Seaside, Fox, Song, Lincoln's, Swamp, White-throated, White-crowned and Harris' sparrows, and add in the Lark Bunting.

   Consider now the law of averages. Of the 20 species above, two species -- the ***Harris' Sparrow and the Lark Bunting -- have been seen only once or twice each in all the years of record keeping. So we are dealing realistically with only 18 species.

   While it is true that any bird capable of flight could conceivably be found anywhere, one of the easiest ways to narrow the possibilities is to consider habitat. For instance, it is highly unlikely that a Bachman's Sparrow, a bird of the pine woods, would be found in the salt marsh. And it is just as unlikely that a Seaside Sparrow, a bird of the salt marsh, ever would be found in the pine woods.

   Five of the 18 species with which we are left tend to occur in a wide variety of habitats: brush, open woodlands, swamps and marshes and back yards. They are Chipping, Field, Song, Swamp and White-throated. You could find one wherever there is vegetation.

   In the pine woods, look for Bachman's, Chipping, Field, Henslow's, Swamp, Song and White-throated (Bachman's is more or less confined to open pine woods; Henslow's is more or less confined to old clear cuts and wet pine savannahs).

   In mixed woodlands, add to those above the Fox and White-crowned sparrows.

   Farmlands, fields, hedgerows in open areas: Clay-colored, Field, Vesper, Lark, Savannah, Fox, Song, Swamp, White-throated and White-crowned.

   Salt-marsh scrub: Savannah, Le Conte's, Sharp-tailed, Song, Lincoln's, Swamp, White-throated and White-crowned.

   Extensive salt marsh: Seaside and Sharp-tailed.

   Overgrown fields in more or less wet areas: Clay-colored, Savannah, Grasshopper, Le Conte's, Sharp-tailed, Song, Lincoln's, Swamp and White-throated.

   Although they don't occur exclusively at feeding stations, certain species can be associated with our back-yard feeding areas. In descending order of abundance, they are White-throated, Chipping, Field, Song, Swamp and White-crowned. (*1996-The Lark Bunting was documented as it fed in back yard -- in August!)

   Sparrows at the feeder provide good opportunities for studying differences in size, shape, behavior and plumages. Of the six mentioned above, note that only one, the Song Sparrow, has prominent breast streaks. Note that the Chipping and Field sparrows are noticeably smaller than the others. Note how the White-throated and White-crowned sparrows (both have prominent "crowns'' and appear "regal'' in shape and posture) scratch the ground for food. Remember that winter sparrows include adult females and first-winter birds; they all won't look bright like the males in breeding plumage shown in field guides. Above all, study that field guide carefully, not just the illustrations but the text.

   My favorite bird, from a sentimental standpoint, is the handsome White-throated Sparrow. In learning it early on, I found that sweet bird more or less opened the door to sparrows in toto. The individual sparrow of any species is a very beautiful creature. With rare exception, sparrow songs are among the loveliest you'll ever hear.

   Don't let the apparent sameness of the sparrows blind you to their exquisite differences. Get to know them through your own identification endeavors, and you will discover a few more reasons why birding, back yard or in the field, is full of wonderful surprises.

*** Editor’s note (2016) A Harris’ sparrow was found at the Pascagoula River Audubon Centre in the last week, and photographed by Sharon Milligan on 01/19/2016

THE GOLD(FINCH) RUSH IS ON

American Goldfinch (winter)

Photo courtesy of Sharon Milligan

This article appeared in the Sun Herald in January 2005 – Although some information is outdated and has been marked with a * it may still apply to this week!

*Recently I've tried to estimate my wealth in American goldfinches and each day there are more and more. They are dominating every feeder in the yard, and although the feeders holding thistle seed are most popular, sunflowers, hulled sunflowers and even millet are getting a play. That is typical here in southern Mississippi.

These winter visitors respond to dropping temperatures and diminishing wild food supplies in the more northern counties by coming south. By the time that happens, the wild seed crop here has been lost to freezing or otherwise decimated, so the number of goldfinches at feeding stations is much greater.

That trend usually continues through February and into March. Hangers-on might even be seen in early June. Those who have been in the bird-feeding business for a long time soon become familiar with the goldfinch timetable. Proportionately, we see more of them in late winter. And it doesn't seem to matter if the winter is harsh or mild.

These are hardy little finches --- their winter range includes southeastern Canada and the New England states, to Mexico and southern Florida.

As long as food is available, they can ride out the weather in severely cold climates. Goldfinches eat the seeds of birch, alder, conifer and other trees.

They also eat the seeds of thistle, goldenrod, asters, dandelion, chicory, etc., and will eat the seeding heads of zinnias, coreopsis, cosmos, lettuce, and sunflowers. Count in insects and berries and it is difficult to imagine them going hungry.

But occasionally the food supply, or a major element of it, dwindles.

When there isn't enough food to go around, it tends to shift them further south. Judging from the peak numbers we are seeing, that is happening now. In my yard, they are dominating every feeder and though niger seed (an expensive import) is still their choice, they move between those feeders and others filled with black-oil sunflower seed and hulled sunflower. When there are not enough perches to hold them all, they resort to eating millet from the ground and a few go for suet.

Watching this frenzy, I've noticed niger seed placed in a mesh sock goes further than any other seed in any other feeder. In my yard, a sock full of niger will last 36 daylight hours; a tube feeder is good for about 24 hours.

Since niger (also called thistle seed) costs about twice as much as black-oil sunflower seed, it doesn't quite even out, but I will probably keep feeding it, if only for the pleasure a sock loaded with niger seed and clinging goldfinches provides. But if you are feeling the pinch, a switch to black-oil sunflower seed is unlikely to lead to a goldfinch boycott.

*As to the hoped-for invasion of other seed-eaters such as pine siskins and purple finches, that is happening on a small scale and certainly not at the majority of feeding stations. There is still time for a wholesale incursion (especially of siskins) to manifest itself.

Pine siskins have the same feeding-station seed preferences as goldfinches but they are more aggressive and a little less prone to skittishness. If they show up in numbers, it may mean putting out more feeders. My recollection of their first invasion of my yard was of them flying all about me as I was filling feeders. By standing still, I soon had them literally eating out of my hand.

Siskins are basically the same size and shape as goldfinches, but they are heavily streaked and they have a touch of yellow in the wings and at the base of the tail. Though there might be some superficial resemblance to female house finches, they are smaller. Anyone feeding quantities of goldfinches should be alert for siskins.

Isolating a purple finch might be a bit difficult, since both males and females bear close resemblance to the house finch, a common permanent resident and feeding-station regular. The male is easiest; it is raspberry colored, and the color is more extensive than on the house finch. Females are best identified by the broad light stripe behind the eye, a dark cheek, and a definitive dark jaw stripe. Purple finches prefer black-oil sunflower seed.

The eminently identifiable dark-eyed junco (a ground feeder) is another species that is present but uncooperative --- up to three of them are coming and going, but they certainly don't keep a schedule. Please pass on word of any of the above (excepting American goldfinches of course), or any red-breasted nuthatch, which is present but elusive.

If you would like to learn more about Judy, click on the blue title above which will take you to the blog where you can read previously posted articles.

WE CAN ONLY HOPE FOR WAXWINGS

 

Cedar Waxwing 

Photo courtesy of Sharon Milligan

This article appeared in the Sun Herald in January 2006 – Although some information is outdated and has been marked with an * it may still apply to this week!

It appears we are being shortchanged on Cedar Waxwings. *I took a no-rhyme survey of birders in the past week and found just about everyone is experiencing a dearth of one of winter's most welcome visitors.

*It would be very easy, and probably correct, to lay the blame at Katrina's door. On the other hand, waxwings are nomadic by nature --- they come and go at their own choosing, not ours. *Last winter and well into late spring we watched some of the best waxwing shows ever, but we can't always have what we want, and this may just be one of those "off" years (in more ways than one).

Normally at this time of year, waxwings are eating fruit and berries --- they habitually strip all the edibles from pyracantha, Japanese privet, mistletoe, hackberry, holly, cedar, and so on. Once flowering trees start to blossom in spring, they turn to petals and insects. Wherever they are right now, we can be quite sure they aren't going hungry.

This species has always been at the top of my personal "best dressed" list --- it has such soft, latte-esque colors and such elegant and patrician features, not to mention that silky crest and velvety black mask. The dollops of red on the wings and the fringes of yellow on the tail are like add-ons, as if the greatest artist of them all just didn't know when to stop.

Another very good thing about waxwings is one hardly ever sees just a single bird, but rather anything from a small flock of a dozen or so to a really breathtaking swoop of hundreds. Their habit is to find a berry bush or budding tree and stay with it long enough to strip it clean before moving on. Lisping, sibilant conversation seems to accompany them whatever they do.

I have this scrapbook of visuals tucked away in my mind's eye for times like this, when we are missing some of the benchmarks of winter. I just close my eyes and see again, although it's been thirty years, a flock numbering thirty birds, give or take. It is dusk and they are whispering among themselves as they swirl around the pin oak just outside the living room window. The night grows cold, but I am curious about them, and there, in the beam of my flashlight, I find the waxwings asleep in the leaves, looking like leaves.

 Before I discovered waxwings roosting in that tree, I wasn't enamored of pin oaks. The dead brown leaves hung on stubbornly and would drop only when new leaves were ready to burst, usually just after the yard had been raked. Call it a flight of fancy, but, like other brush strokes of nature we don't understand, maybe old dried leaves are there because Cedar Waxwings like to sleep in them.

If you would like to learn more about Judy, click on the blue title above which will take you to the blog where you can read previously posted articles.

LOOK FOR MORE THAN CROWNS IN BIRD SPECIES

Black-crowned Night Herons

Golden-crowned Kinglet

photos courtesy of Sharon Milligan

This article appeared in the Sun Herald on January 10^th, 1997.

  Deep winter is a rather repetitive birding season, so let's use this time of transition, between winter and spring migration, to discuss a few things that can make a novice birder chuck the bins and field guide at first sign of frustration.

   This week's subject is the “crowned heads” of the bird world. As any beginner soon discovers, there are a number of species with the word "crown" in their names, but very few of them actually have what we envision as a crown. This leads to confusion. It makes the birder doubt an identification, because he or she often cannot see the plumage element for which the bird was named originally.

   You may wish to follow along with a field guide.

   Here on the Mississippi Coast, there are six species with the word "crown" in their names: Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron (these two may be seen year-round but mostly spring through fall), Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Orange-crowned Warbler and White-crowned Sparrow (these four are winter residents, with the last one named on the irregular list).

   Beginning with the night herons, note that adults do have a "beanie" type of plumage that might be considered as a crown; once this plumage is attained, it is kept year-round. Notice also that adults in breeding (or adult alternate) plumage sport attractive plumes which seem to flow from the beanie like ribbons on a little girl's hat. This is a breeding-season-only adornment. Most of the year we are likely to see more immature birds than adults. They are unlike adults in plumage but not in shape, and criteria other than crowns are the best means to identify them, but that's another column.

   Ah, the kinglets. I remember my first experience with the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. It was on a twig just outside the window. I was no more than six feet from it, but I could see nothing that passed for a ruby -- or red -- crown, with which adornment the bird is usually illustrated. Everything else fit perfectly: dull yellowish, white wing bars, tiny size, beady black eyes, etc. I even heard its rapid, nervous chitter, but I hesitated to name it.

   In desperation I went to the text that accompanies the illustration. There it said that the ruby crown of the male is usually concealed and erected only when the bird is excited; females have no ruby crown at all. So I stopped looking for the elusive color and depended on other features or field marks. Once having learned that little bit of intelligence, I doubt that I have misidentified a Ruby-crowned Kinglet since.

   The Golden-crowned Kinglet, on the other hand, has a beanie that is visible all the time. It is orange in the male and yellow in the female. With its other striking field marks, this kinglet is an easy call, even for a beginner. But here in winter, it is much more a mixed-woodland bird than the ubiquitous Ruby-crowned and in most circumstances not as up-front.

   The wintering Orange-crowned Warbler is a bird that throws a gauntlet at the feet of the novice birder and even those who have been at it a while. As with the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, the orange crown is concealed. The so-called crown is not a field mark. In nearly three decades of birding, I have seen the orange crown once, when the bird was hanging upside down from a branch at close range. The best field marks are the lack of field marks. This is a dull yellowish-gray bird; the brightest yellow feathers are the under-tail coverts. It has a hint of an eye line, and it generally stays low in the brush, most often near watery places.

   Last but not least is the White-crowned Sparrow. Adults do have bright white beanies, but the immatures, which always outnumber the adults in fall and winter, have brownish beanies. Both are large and have large, very pink bills.

  

Announcement

Mr. Pete Dunne (Nationally recognized birder, teacher and author) has a new collection of essays called “Bird Droppings” which is something all birders would enjoy having on their bookshelves. His dedication in the book reads: “To Judy Toups, who inspired us all”.

PINE WARBLERS: READ ALL ABOUT 'EM

Pine Warbler

photo courtesy of Sharon Milligan

1/5/01 

This article appeared in the Sun Herald in January 2001 - some outdated information will be marked with an *.... but kept for historical interest.

 
   

   *There were three Pine Warblers in my back yard today. That event is food for thought. Give the thought process free reign and it could be worth about 1,500 words, the length of a column. I like to call it bird-reading. 

    Bird-reading is not a new idea; it consists of interpreting what we see in the context of existing conditions. In this case, it is the relationship between birds --- namely my Pine Warblers --- and the weather and availability of food.We should talk about the Pine Warbler first. It is a common permanent resident here. Although many bird names leave us clueless, the Pine Warbler is, as its name implies, closely associated with pine trees. I would have difficulty remembering the last time I saw a Pine Warbler that wasn't within a few wingbeats of a grove of pines. 

    You should know that my yard is bereft of pines. Not only that, but it is definitely not heavily wooded bottom land, an orchard, a thicket or a woodland edge, all secondary habitat choices for the Pine Warbler in winter. Although there are scattered pines in the neighborhood, there hasn't been a Pine Warbler in my yard since the late 1970s, when there was a vacant lot, replete with pines, next door. 

    I can go further with this notion. If you understand that bird song can be heard and identified for about a quarter of a mile in any direction from its point of emanation, I believe I am correct in stating that NO Pine Warbler has nested within a quarter mile of my house for many years, else I would have heard its trill. And --- Moreover --- But --- 

    Like the acorn that doesn't fall far from the tree, resident Pine Warblers here in the Deep South don't stray far from the grove they hatched in. At least in my experience. 

    So that leads to another thought. Although our Southern Pine Warblers are non-migratory, the birds that breed from Maine west to Minnesota and places in between ARE migratory. They are considered short-distance migrants, meaning that they might come this far south, but are not trans-Gulf migrants. Thus I arrive at the conclusion that "my" Pine Warblers are migrants from farther north and strangers on the Coast. 

    Naturally, they are looking for food, ideally, insects and spiders. Second choices: pine seeds, grass, weeds, maybe some berries. *It doesn't take an environmental scientist to realize that we are in the throes of an unusually cold winter; how many overnight freezes does it take to decimate insect life and destroy weed seeds and berries? The yard at Hartford Place, being neither deep forest nor bottom land, has, for the time being, sunk to the bottom of a natural food void. 

    And so we come to third choices: feeding station offerings such as suet and other soft foods, largesse from the backyard birder. These three Pine Warblers were making for two items: a suet cake on the platform feeder and a chunk of stale coffee cake, especially the sugary icing. 

    Naturally, they weren't alone. There's a growing assortment of birds that are not regular customers, although I must admit that none of them has warranted the analysis I gave to the Pine Warblers. 

    *I am hearing from lots of readers, though, about oddball birds at the feeders --- A Black-and-white Warbler (rare but regular in winter) at suet and Eastern Bluebirds, forsaking their persnickety penchant for soft raisins cut in small pieces, and going straight for a lump of bird pudding. The caller also mentioned that he had had a bluebird house in place for years, but not until this year has a bluebird given it notice; then there were three going in and out of it --- no doubt checking its possibilities as a nighttime roost. Natural cavities and nest boxes provide bluebirds some protection against the cold. I have read that during extreme cold or icy conditions, they just pile into an available roosting site by the numbers, and borrow each other's body warmth. Even then, they sometimes do not survive. 

    I also lifted a tidbit from Stacy Peterson, as follows (but abbreviated): *"After failing to find Fox Sparrow the past two winters on the Mississippi Coast, I have now seen two within the past five days. The first was at Port Bienville; the most recent was at my house, kicking among the leaves." 

    The Fox Sparrow is uncommon in northern Mississippi and rare here in the southern counties during winter. It has been years since I have seen one; it could show up at a feeder. *A probable Black-headed Grosbeak is hanging out at Nancy Madden's feeding station in Gulfport. This bird of western origin is also a rarity at any time. 

    Of course, hummingbirds continue their selective quest for winter gardens and nectar feeders. 

    Bird feeding in general has become more than an altruistic venture on our parts. It has become a virtual necessity. The presence in our yards and at feeding stations of improbable birds only underscores a serious situation that won't correct itself anytime soon. If you are currently feeding birds of any ilk, now is no time to slack off. 

    It is especially serious for insect-eaters. With that in mind, and because I have repeated the recipes over the phone many times in the past couple of weeks, I include the following recipe. Forget the single batch; double it or triple it. Although there are several versions of it, this one is called "marvel meal." 

    Combine 1 cup peanut butter (unsalted), 1 cup vegetable shortening (lard, melted beef suet or bacon drippings), 4 cups cornmeal, 1 cup flour. Mix into a shapeable dough and serve it up in suet feeders or on a feeding shelf, or smeared on the side of a rough-barked tree. I also recommend about one-half cup sugar in the mix; when I am low on cornmeal, I have used instant grits. 

    The recipe for hummingbird nectar is 4 cups of water to one cup of sugar (no honey, no sugar substitutes, no food coloring). Bring to boiling, cool, and store in refrigerator. Zap those feeders as they freeze. I've been putting out pounds and pounds of white proso millet for ground-feeders, and bag after bag of black oil sunflower seed. Stale bread, cake, doughnuts, etc., while not having much in the way of nutritional value, will at least help fill the void for a few birds, or squirrels. Items such as raisins, currents and dried fruits and berries will appeal to fruit and berry eaters. Peanuts make the day for titmice, woodpeckers, jays and many others. 

    One winter, after seeing an out-of-season oriole in the yard, my desperate search for something it might eat yielded some candied pineapple, which I hung from a branch. It was a big hit, not only with the oriole but with other fruit eaters. 

    One last thought: *this morning, the fountain and shallow pool were frozen solid. I noticed a single goldfinch on the deck; that was a surprise. Until the bird flew up to the rim of a large bucket of water meant for the canine contingent. It, too, had frozen over, and I saw the goldfinch reach down and attempt to chip into the ice with its bill. Needless to say, I was quick to make amends. The point here is that when water freezes over, the result is a drought condition. Birds will seek out water wherever they can find it. 

THANKS

- This celebration of Judy could not have happened without the hard work of the editors (reading one month each):  Sylvia Bogart, Ned Boyajian, Janet Wright, Alison Henry, Tish Machado, Nancy Madden, Millie Page, Gerry Morgan, Martha Coghlin and special thanks go to Kim Anderson, Sharon Milligan and Jay Morris for (in addition to editing) scanning hundreds of articles for this project.

-Many thanks also to the Biloxi Library Historians (E.W Suarez, Jenny White and Jane Shambra) for their tireless help in retrieving files from the archives.

If you would like to subscribe to this weekly article please enter your email address in the subscribe window and click "subscribe". It's as easy as that.  Enjoy!