The Sparrows of Treaty Hill (part 3)
BLACK-CHINNED, CHIPPING AND BREWER’S SPARROW
Oddly there have been only two observed visits from the handsome Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) at the feeding station despite the fact that this is the sparrow that I’ve seen more than any other while driving around the Ranch before moving here. Perhaps it isn’t all that interested in free seed and water. We’ll see. If only all sparrows were this easy to identify!
Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata)
Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata)
Black-throated Sparrows are year-round residents in Arizona.
I’ve already mentioned Chipping Sparrows (Spizella passerina) in a previous post but since some members of the genus Spizella have similar plumages, I thought it a good idea to discuss them in more depth.
The adult Chipping Sparrow is quite easy to identify. A small sparrow, with a notched tail, rusty cap, whilte superciliary (area over the eye) stripe and a blackish line through the eye.
Adult Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)
They are also the only sparrow possessing a gray rump. In this photo the bird was preening after a bath so the rump feathers are all puffed out — not normally the case. The notched tail is also clearly visible.
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)
The confusion begins when first-winter birds are present. In winter and juvenile plumage, the Spizella sparrows (Chipping, Brewer’s and Clay-colored) can be quite difficult to tell apart. Some of the Chipping Sparrow’s features such as the dark eye line are not always prominent and the crown can be dull with only a hint of rufous color. Naturally there are always more of these present than adults. Chipping Sparrows are year-round residents of SE Arizona.
Chipping Sparrows in winter plumage (Spizella passerina)
Southern Arizona is a wintering spot for another Spizella sparrow, the Brewer’s (Spizella brewerii). Here’s a sparrow that’s easy to miss in the fray of Chipping Sparrows. I seem to have startled it with my camera in this shot.
Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella breweri)
Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella breweri)
Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella breweri)
Brewer’s Sparrow showing brown rump
Another small, slim sparrow, the Brewer’s has a streaked crown without a distinct central stripe. It lacks the gray rump of the Chipping Sparrow. The supercilium varies from pale dull gray to dull white. There is no dark stripe through the eye but the eye ring is a bit more distinct than the Chipping Sparrow. The rump is brown rather than gray. These birds tend to flock in winter just like Chipping Sparrows. They can also hybridize!
The third similar Spizella, the Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida), is not a winter visitor here so I won’t discuss it’s features unless, of course, it happens to wander into my yard!
Leave a Comment