Subject: Clay-colored or Chipping Sparrow?
Date: Jan 4 22:37:08 1999
From: Roening, Marcus (US Sales - MDR51044 at glaxowellcome.com


Dear Tweets,

An update on yesterday's post about the Spizella sparrow near Elma. After
Jim Flynn and I have had a chance to look at a few more sparrow books, it is
looking like the Spizella sparrow we saw could be a winter chipping sparrow.
Since we both have very limited experience with these sparrows in winter, we
would certainly appreciate second opinions, especially on the color of the
rump.

Here's the notes from the field:

The bird was a small sparrow and long-tailed. The underparts were a pale,
greyish white with a buffy chest bar from the wing bend, but it was not
complete across the chest.

The rump was unstreaked grey and continued up the back until it became gray
with brown. The nape was a clear medium gray and started from the side of
the neck. Legs pink.

The crown was medium brown (not rusty) with faint blackish streaks and a
pale median crown stripe. Supecilium was whitish. Aurculum was brown, but
did not seemed to be defined by any dark lines. Malar strip was white and
buffy.

Good Birding,
Marcus Roening Tacoma,WA
Glaxo Wellcome, MDR51044 at GlaxoWellcome.com