THIS is why we all hate sparrows (continued cause i had too much to say)

I mentioned previously the importance of seeking out specific details when identifying similar looking species of a single family, such as sparrows. Like I said before, generally all sparrows have those basically identical solid steaks, stripes and spots. Which makes looking at a mixed flock of sparrows incredibly annoying.

I have found that jotting down quick notes of what is in front of me is really helpful. When on the field, a sparrow most likely will pop up.

And if you’re not around any type of urban settings such as a park or the like, you can most likely eliminate the very urbanized House Sparrow from the list.

The notes should be very quick; if you can, don’t look at your journal while you write, look at the bird. If the bird is small, jot it down. If the bird is tan with dark streaks, write it down. Try to pay attention to not only color, but also body shape.

My "jot notes" when I saw the Ruddy Turnstone for the first time. I later checked my guide with the description I had to identify it.

The Ruddy Turnstone as depicted by David Allen Sibley.

You’ll learn that different families of birds usually have different body shapes. For example, a grackle looks nothing like a sparrow.

Random Fun Fact That is Only Somewhat Relevant

The female Red-winged Blackbird can be confused with a member of the sparrow family if you aren’t careful; if you understand that members of the blackbird family usually have straight, very pointed bills as opposed to the blunt and less-straight bill of a sparrow family member, you can immediately tell the difference on just looks alone.

A female Red-winged Blackbird (bottom) in comparison to a Le Conte's Sparrow (top). While they do not look identical, they share pattern characteristics that may confuse a beginner.

But if you can pay attention to the habitat and surroundings, a female Red-winged Blackbird is mostly found in wet areas such as streams, marshes and swamps with the very apparent male Red-winged Blackbirds everywhere.

 Also, once you hear one vocalizing, it is very hard to confuse it with anything but the Red-winged Blackbird.

Wait. You’re Colorblind?

Don’t let me be contradictory, now. While the patterns and colors are very much important, they are not everything to indentifying a sparrow. Or any other bird, actually.  I was one of those feverish beginners who memorized her Sibley guide thinking it was enough to pass as an excellent birdwatcher. Negative.

I learned my lesson in the summer of 2008 when I was privileged enough to strike an internship at the Au Sable Institutes in the UP of Michigan. This institution was seated right in the middle of the La Pierre Forest, a large belt of hardwood boreal forest that spanned throughout most of the UP. Being in mid-forest, the nearest town happened to be a 45-minute drive. We were isolated.

I took several biology classes during that summer, one being Ornithology. My professor for that class of 12 to 13 students was a tall and lanky man named Kenneth Petersen.

I began noticing a trend with Dr. Petersen. If we came across a bird while in the field and that bird was not moving or singing he would begin to question us about it.

“Okay, guys. What color is the nape? What color are the flanks? The rump?”

We would answer every time. At first, I thought he was testing us. But the more and more I kept noticing the trend, the more I thought to myself, this man is colorblind!

And I was absolutely correct. Kenneth Petersen is colorblind. The only colors he can see are shades of yellow, making identifying solely by colors and patterns amazingly difficult. As such, he learned to memorize song and movement of each species. If the bird isn’t moving or singing, he has a hard time figuring it out.

I imagine the sparrows would be the worst (notice how we’re just hating on the sparrows) to try to identify.

Refer yourself to the images of the two sparrows in the previous post.  Now imagine seeing no color on those sparrows but the faint yellow dot above the navel cavity. And take note that these are extremely active, shrub loving birds in large mixed foraging groups.

That’s a difficult take to identify a mixed group with full color, but without?

The Botteri's (bottom) and Bachman's Sparrows gray scaled. Kinda look identical, eh?

Lesson learned: don’t just rely on color patterns.

A Game, You Say?

Don’t get me wrong. Detail is very important, just not the most important thing.

If you have full function of your colors, then yes, by all means, do pay attention to this detail; it. However, the more you study a bird in the field and discover its movements, its song and general characteristics, the quicker you’ll be able to distinguish birds without the sole need of the field guide.

I am hoping to encourage better birding and birdwatching tactics in you.

Hopefully, you will learn that it’s not all about sight anymore. It’s about habitat, behavior, song, foraging patterns, tthhheenn color and color patterns. Yes. The patterns help at first and will continue to be a stepping-stone as you advance.

Just don’t rely on it. That was my first mistake. Once I couldn’t get a good look at a bird due to its aloofness, I was practically blind. I did not know the bird’s song and I couldn’t recognize the body shape or behaviors.

Now I know that that bird was a White-eyed Vireo. And if you’re already a decently established birder or birdwatcher, you know that the Vireo family is very quick and stays out of sight. To distinguish these birds, you have to know the general song of each species.

It’ll take some time and a lot of effort. Patience is key. Remember, it’s all a studying game.

The White-eyed Vireo (bottom) and the very similar Red-eyed Vireo (top). You most likely will never get this clear of a look at a vireo unless just lucky.

-s.g martinez