Subject: Re: Harris Sparrow (fwd)
Date: Apr 28 19:58:33 1998
From: Deb Beutler - dbeutler at wsunix.wsu.edu


In Harris Sparrows, both sexes look similar; in general, males have
more black on their face than females. In almost all songbirds, only the
males sing but both sexes call.
Remember, birds don't read field guides. The range maps are
generally pretty good at showing where the main population of a specie
spends its time. However, it doesn't always show the full range of where
the bird occurs. Use the range maps as guidelines not absolutes. Most
Harris Sparrows winter in the southern Great Plains; I used to feed large
flocks of them in Kansas in the winter. However, a few birds do wander east
and west of the Great Plains for the winter.
The other problem with range map is they may be out of date. Birds
are constantly expanding and contracting their ranges and it is impossible
to keep up with them in print. Use the range maps in the field guides as
guidelines but also look at book or lists specific to your area or close to
your area; books with titles like "Birds of Vancouver" or "Birds of British
Columbia".
There has been several Harris' Sparrows south of the Tri-Cities in
Washington (in Walla Walla County at Madame Dorian Park) all winter long.
They are rather uncommon in eastern Washington.

Cheers
Deb
Pullman, Wa
At 14:47 28/4/98 -0700, Ingrid Lae wrote:
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Tue, 28 Apr 98 13:49 PDT
>From: ilae at scienceworld.bc.ca (Ingrid Lae)
>
>Hi tweets.
>
>Someone asked if anyone else had been visited by a Harris' Sparrow.
>
>I've also had a Harris' Sparrow coming to my feeder, or rather to the area
>under the feeder. I've only seen it on the feeder itself once. I first saw
>the bird on Easter Weekend and I've seen it every day that I haven't been
>at work since then. It appeared the same weekend as a Yellow Crowned
>Sparrow came to keep me company while I mowed the lawn.
>
>The first field guide that I looked in, didn't seem to indicate that it
>was very likely to be here. In all I looked in 5 guides and one of them
>shows the Harris' Sparrow occasionally veering West during migration. I
>have studied the bird now for two weeks and had many good looks through
>the scope. It's a very handsome bird, but I've never heard it make a
>sound. The guides say that the male and female are similar. Does only the
>male sing? Maybe I have a female, or maybe I've just not caught the bird
>in the act of singing.
>
>Ingrid Lae
>Vancouver, B.C.
>
>
>
>

Deb Beutler
Department of Zoology
P.O. Box 644236
Washington State University
Pullman (Whitman Co.), WA 99164-4236
dbeutler at wsunix.wsu.edu