12 replies to this topic

[Delilahae]

Hi..

I was wondering if the first bird is a Sora?.

I read that they are very secretive, so I am not sure if I'm correct..

I was also wondering what the second bird is?.

Thanx..

D



1..










2..

[ray_hennessy]

I would say a definite Sora on the first and I'm not sure on the 2nd.

[SeeBirds]

I agree with Sora, I think the second bird is a Song Sparrow, though I am not very good at the LBB's ( littly brown birds)
Mira

[The Sego Sago Kid]

2 might be a savannah sparrow... but yeah I suck at sparrows as well, so who knows.

[MWM]

Agree with sora & song sparrow (nice shot of the sora).

[TheBillyPilgrim]

The breast streaking on this guy doesn't quite look right to me for Song. What about a Swamp? The malar does look too white, but having trouble making it into a Song.

[illin]

With the buffy coloration under the fine streaking could the Sparrow be a Lincoln's? Head looks more like a Song to me though.

[psweet]

That sparrow looks like a Song to me -- the streaking's way too heavy for a Lincoln's, and a Swamp never has more than faint streaking, would show chestnut wings, and would be very unlikely in California. Where in California were these taken? Along the coast in southern California, that might be a Belding's Savannah Sparrow.

[Liam]

Psweet, here's a Belding's Sparrow I saw at Bolsa Chica for comparison:



I think the bill on the OP's bird is too dark for a Savannah Sparrow, it's very dark gray. Along with that, the streaking is very strong, as you noted.

I agree that this is a Song Sparrow, albeit a somewhat atypical one.

[psweet]

Actually, Liam, I don't think that the sparrow is atypical -- apparently birds along the California coast look like this. What does appear to be missing is the obvious rust edges on the wing coverts. But Song Sparrow is the most geographically variable species we have.

[birdhouse]

Looks just like the song sparrows that've been hanging around our yard for the last few days is SE Kentucky.

[Delilahae]

Thank you all very much..Both pictures were taken along the beach shoreline in Ventura, CA..

[creeker]

Since I live in SoCal and see Song Sparrows all the time, I will agree that's what this is. As for your Sora's behavior, I do catch them out in the open from time to time. They are shy, but not so much as say a Least Bittern.