Whatbird.com

I'm stumped.  Note the gray area on the head, the spot on the chest, and the slight yellow lower mandible.  Location:  Western North Dakota.  Habitat: Brushy area adjacent to grass field.

 

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Song Sparrow.

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2008 Yard List: 118
Recent: Hooded Warbler, Black-billed Cuckoo
Highlights: Hoary Redpoll, Golden Eagle, Fish Crow
2008 Year List: 181
Recent: Alder Flycatcher, Green Heron
Highlights: Cackling Goose, Black Vulture, Merlin

Actually, this is a Lincoln's Sparrow.

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Warbler Life List: 35 species
Sparrow Life List: 18 species
Owl Life List: 9 species

I was going to say Lincoln also.....mainly because of the amount of gray.   Although I thought Lincoln Sparrow's breast spot was much less noticable.  Song Sparrows have more streaking below too.

 

I have seen Song Sparrows with a lot of gray coloring on the head.  I'm not sure but I don't think the bill indicates one sparrow over another.

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**MoJo's Warbler Watch** --> 23 species; Most recent->Orange-crowned (9/20), Palm (9/30)

**2008/Life Total** --> 210 species;
Most recent-> Horned Puffin (9/17), Red-faced Cormorant (9/17), Harlequin Duck (9/17), Golden-crowned Sparrow (9/20)

TheGrine:

Actually, this is a Lincoln's Sparrow.

Well, I thought it might be Lincoln's but it is hard to see the streaking in the photo because it is blurry. Also Songs also can have gray on the head.

But I think you are right.

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2008 Yard List: 118
Recent: Hooded Warbler, Black-billed Cuckoo
Highlights: Hoary Redpoll, Golden Eagle, Fish Crow
2008 Year List: 181
Recent: Alder Flycatcher, Green Heron
Highlights: Cackling Goose, Black Vulture, Merlin

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Lincolns_Sparrow.html

says lincoln's has "no spot on the chest...."...?

my guess,song sparrow

That's definitely a Lincoln's Sparrow, which does have a small breast spot, though not as pronounced as in a Song Sparrow (they are both in the same Melospiza genus and are quite similar.  The best distinguishing feature is the distinctive buffy breast color of the Lincoln's, and also Lincoln's breast streaking is lighter and finer than a Song Sparrow's..

Definitely a Lincoln's sparrow.

Definitely

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Dan Kopp
Sacramento

Many dreams come true, and some have silver linings; I live for my dream and a pocketful of gold...

The yellow on the jaw indicates Lincoln.

Thanks, everybody.  This bird clocked in as "suspected" on the park's checklist, but now I have photo proof of it.  I also saw savannah sparrows, which were also not confirmed within the park prior to my sighting.

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can you explain to me , why when the experts at Cornell say the Lincoln has no black spot on its chest, and this bird clearly shows a definate black spot...do the "experts" here at what bird ignore that fact, and call this bird a Lincoln..????

If you search for Lincoln's Sparrow in google images, I daresay that most of the photos have a central breast spot of varying darkness. I haven't checked my Sibley's to see if that shows a breast spot, but all in all the presence of a breast spot on a sparrow just seems like a less important field mark to me personally compared to three or four more diagnostic field marks...such as the buffy shadowing across the breast, crisp streaks, buffy malar, raised crown, etc. that you would find on a Lincoln's.

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Warbler Life List: 35 species
Sparrow Life List: 18 species
Owl Life List: 9 species

birdseye:

can you explain to me , why when the experts at Cornell say the Lincoln has no black spot on its chest, and this bird clearly shows a definate black spot...do the "experts" here at what bird ignore that fact, and call this bird a Lincoln..????

 Speaking from my own observations, Lincoln's almost always have central black breast spots, plus you can look at many field guides and photos and they show the dark breast spot also. Now the Lincoln's might not always have the breast spot as conspicious as Songs do, but they are present on most birds.

 

 

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featherbrain

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i agree with you guys... when looking at photos on almost all bird sites the lincoln pictures had a chest spot.. my question was really about the validity of any of cornells information... this isnt the first time i have relied Cornell stuff only to have the guys here on whatbird (featherbrain, Morton, , etc...) set me straight...not always without alot of argument, but eventually you guys steered me in the right direction...does anyone have any impeachable sources?