PaulK Posted October 3, 2022 Share Posted October 3, 2022 Hi everyone, here's an obvious song sparrow that's been bothering me. That dark dark bill plus dark lores and dark rufous cap just feels odd to me, for what is an obvious song sparrow. Is this just a subspecies I'm not used to, or a hybrid of some sort, or am I just over-thinking something really obvious? A few days ago in Vancouver BC, thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted October 3, 2022 Share Posted October 3, 2022 Just now, PaulK said: here's an obvious song sparrow Are you sure? Sure looks like a Purple-spoted Snorklewacker to me.... ? 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiscalus quiscula Posted October 3, 2022 Share Posted October 3, 2022 Definitely Song Sparrow. Can't determine subspecies, so I'll leave that to the experts. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IKLland Posted October 3, 2022 Share Posted October 3, 2022 44 minutes ago, PaulK said: Is this just a subspecies I'm not used to I’m not too familiar with what subspecies you have up there, but it’s probably that your overthinking it. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted October 3, 2022 Share Posted October 3, 2022 1 hour ago, Kevin said: Are you sure? Sure looks like a Purple-spoted Snorklewacker to me.... ? Left- or right-handed? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bird-Boys Posted October 3, 2022 Share Posted October 3, 2022 It's a Song Sparrow, looks to a montana/merrilli thingy. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted October 4, 2022 Share Posted October 4, 2022 1 hour ago, Charlie Spencer said: Left- or right-handed? I believe they use their bills. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulK Posted October 4, 2022 Author Share Posted October 4, 2022 2 hours ago, Bird-Boys said: It's a Song Sparrow, looks to a montana/merrilli thingy. Well would ya look at that @Aidan B 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colton V Posted October 4, 2022 Share Posted October 4, 2022 It looks fine for rufina to me, though I agree it’s a bit on the darker side. https://ebird.org/species/sonspa4 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan B Posted October 4, 2022 Share Posted October 4, 2022 (edited) I agree that it looks good for rufina, I have lots of experience in picking out montana and a few merrili birds from the local heermanni here in Sacramento, and that bird would stand out as being quite different from the subspecies I am used to seeing. Edited October 4, 2022 by Aidan B 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulK Posted October 4, 2022 Author Share Posted October 4, 2022 Thanks for all your thoughts on this everyone! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonestranger Posted October 4, 2022 Share Posted October 4, 2022 15 hours ago, Kevin said: Are you sure? Sure looks like a Purple-spoted Snorklewacker to me.... ? 13 hours ago, Charlie Spencer said: Left- or right-handed? 12 hours ago, Kevin said: I believe they use their bills. I thought @Charlie Spencer was asking what kind of cigarettes you've been smoking. ? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted October 4, 2022 Share Posted October 4, 2022 1 hour ago, lonestranger said: I thought @Charlie Spencer was asking what kind of cigarettes you've been smoking. ? The question is what kind of cigarettes has @Charlie Spencer been smoking. On 1/4/2021 at 6:30 PM, Charlie Spencer said: Cherry Grove Beach, northeastern SC. Jan 3rd, 2021. The bird is headed from right to left and slightly away from us. It flapped constantly and rapidly, like a duck would. This was over a tidal creek, although the bird remained over 50 feet up while it was visible. Loon? (The bird, not me.) Cormorant? Purple-spotted Snorklewhacker? Thanks. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted October 4, 2022 Share Posted October 4, 2022 4 minutes ago, Kevin said: The question is what kind of cigarettes has @Charlie Spencer been smoking. I don't know what is up with that audio, I can't get it to go away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted October 4, 2022 Share Posted October 4, 2022 (edited) 4 minutes ago, Kevin said: I don't know what is up with that audio, I can't get it to go away. My apologies; that wasn't my intention. Here, try this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykwqXuMPsoc Edited October 4, 2022 by Charlie Spencer 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted October 4, 2022 Share Posted October 4, 2022 6 hours ago, Charlie Spencer said: My apologies; that wasn't my intention. I had no clue your comments did or didn't have anything to do with smoking, except for @lonestranger's comment. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonestranger Posted October 5, 2022 Share Posted October 5, 2022 2 hours ago, Kevin said: I had no clue your comments did or didn't have anything to do with smoking, except for @lonestranger's comment. Get used to it @Kevin. I'm clueless about a lot of @Charlie Spencer's comments, including his recent intentions with the Narwals video. I suspect his intentions were to annoy us more than usual by planting an ear worm in our brains. It's times like this when I should have just ignored him instead of clicking on the link looking for an explanation, that not even a handful of left-handed cigarettes could help to explain. ??♂️ ? 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted October 5, 2022 Share Posted October 5, 2022 11 hours ago, Kevin said: I had no clue your comments did or didn't have anything to do with smoking, except for @lonestranger's comment. That's because they didn't have anything to do with smoking in the first place, be it tobacco, marijuana, or salmon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexHenry Posted October 5, 2022 Share Posted October 5, 2022 It’s in my opinion strange that eBird groups merilli with montana rather than with the rufina group, since montana is rather pale gray and rusty, whereas merilli is much darker gray and rusty more often more similar in appearance to rufina group stuff. This bird is fairly dark but so should most PNW Song Sparrows. My gut reaction would be to call this bird rufina group but in some cases subspecies IDs can be pretty nuanced and ambiguous so sometimes it’s best to not try too hard with them. Keep in mind the rufina group encompasses several subspecies and it is possible more than one of them occurs in your area 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connor Cochrane Posted October 5, 2022 Share Posted October 5, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, AlexHenry said: It’s in my opinion strange that eBird groups merilli with montana rather than with the rufina group, since montana is rather pale gray and rusty, whereas merilli is much darker gray and rusty more often more similar in appearance to rufina group stuff. This bird is fairly dark but so should most PNW Song Sparrows. My gut reaction would be to call this bird rufina group but in some cases subspecies IDs can be pretty nuanced and ambiguous so sometimes it’s best to not try too hard with them. Keep in mind the rufina group encompasses several subspecies and it is possible more than one of them occurs in your area I agree that this is a bird in the rufina group. Merrelli is probably lumped with Montana in a group because there is a large intergrade zone around the us-canada border in the Rockys, whereas rufina and merrelli have a fairly limited intergrade zone. Edited October 5, 2022 by Connor Cochrane 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbvol50 Posted October 5, 2022 Share Posted October 5, 2022 3 minutes ago, Connor Cochrane said: I agree that this is a bird in the rufina group. Merrelli is probably lumped with Montana in a group because there is a large intergrade zone around the us-canada border in the Rockys, whereas rufina and merrelli have a fairly limited intergrade zone. I observed this sparrow near Mt. St. Helens in Washington. I assumed it was a Fox sparrow initially but it's a Song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.