A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW
| About BEV

Features
| Boreal Owl
| Sparrow ID

Beginning Birding
| What's that bird?
| Where to go birding
| Guide to field guides
| Binocular basics
| Flocking instinct
| Think like a bird

Young Birder Programs

A Bird's-Eye View

Sparrow Trouble

Text and illustration by Jenny Brumfield
[Reprinted from A Bird's-Eye View, August 1997]

Many birders take the Song Sparrow for granted: it's a common bird, breeding across the northern U.S. and much of Canada and wintering across most of the U.S. and the Pacific coast of North America. But have you ever noticed that the most common birds can sometimes be the hardest to identify? The familiar Song Sparrow is capable of stumping even the experts. In particular, two sparrow species are likely to be confused with Song Sparrows: Lincoln's and Savannah Sparrows. Since the Song Sparrow is found in a variety of habitats, it can often be found with these other two sparrows. During migration, these three sparrows may occur with even more sparrow species in large mixed flocks, posing one of the greatest identification challenges a birder can face.

Shape is the first (and one of the most important) things to look for when identifying sparrows. This is especially true if a lot of birds are present. The Song Sparrow is generally a bit larger, more robust, and longer-tailed than Lincoln's and Savannah's Sparrows. While the Song Sparrow's tail is rounded at the end, the Savannah's tail is notched. Bill size and shape are also helpful. Song Sparrows show the longest, heaviest bills of the three species.
Now that we know the general shape of these three sparrows, we can move on to the next field marks: coloration and patterns. Unfortunately, the Song Sparrow comes in a puzzling array of about 29 subspecies, ranging from very pale to very dark, all found in North America. To simplify matters, we'll focus on the typical eastern form.

One of the best-known field marks of the Song Sparrow, the "dark spot in the center of the breast," is only sometimes helpful in separating these three species. Some Song Sparrow races, and young birds of any race, may lack this mark. And both Lincoln's and Savannah Sparrows may have a central spot in their breast streaking, though this spot is usually smaller and less dark than what you'll see on a typical Song Sparrow. To be safe, don't identify these birds solely by the presence or absence of a central breast spot!

All three species show streaking on the sides and breast. Again, Song Sparrows vary widely on how much streaking they show and how heavy it is. But generally, Song Sparrows show thicker streaks than are found on a Savannah. And both of these species have heavier streaking than Lincoln's Sparrows. Lincoln's Sparrows usually have a buffy breast, in addition to their fine streaking.

All three species show similar head patterns, with a brownish ear patch outlined by a dark eyeline and "moustachial stripe," a pale stripe running front-to-back on the crown, and a pale line over the eye. All three show a dark "malar stripe" (the "whisker mark") extending down the side of the throat from the base of the bill. But there are some differences that help separate the three species. On a Lincoln's Sparrow, the eyebrow is gray, as are the sides of the neck. Lincoln's Sparrows often show a buffy eye-ring, too. Overall, the Lincoln's appears buffier below and grayer above than the other two species.

Song Sparrows show distinctive, heavy moustachial and malar stripes. The central crown stripe is light brown or grayish. The ear-patch is usually a pale gray. Overall, eastern Song Sparrows are usually darker brown above than Lincoln's or Savannah.

The Savannah is like a paler version of the Song Sparrow, with lighter stripes on the face and a dark brown crown that is highlighted by a white central stripe (an especially useful field mark). Most Savannahs show a yellowish eyebrow, the yellow sometimes limited to the area just above and front of the eye (called the "lores"). One more useful field mark on a Savannah Sparrow is the leg color: this species often has bright pink legs and feet, while the legs of Lincoln's and Song Sparrows are usually duller and browner.

Of course, to make identifying sparrows even easier, keep your ears open and listen for these sparrows' songs and calls. The Song Sparrow sings a cheery, musical, and highly variable song that sounds like hip-hip-hooray-boys-spring-is-here!. The Savannah Sparrow sings a thinner, more insect-like tsip-tsip-tsip-SREEEE-ip, with the first notes faint and the last note lower in pitch. The Lincoln's song is a sweet, warbling one, sounding a bit like the song of a Purple Finch. The Lincoln's starts low, rises, then drops abruptly at the end: churr-churr-churr-wee-wee-wee-wah-wah. (This species rarely sings away from its breeding grounds.) Those famous "chip notes" are also useful for identification. The Song's most common call note is a harsh, fairly loud chiff or chimp. Savannahs have a faint, thin tsip or tsee note. Lincoln's have a sharp chip or sick call.

Especially during the breeding season, habitat is a useful identification clue. Lincoln's and Savannah Sparrows are more specialized in their habitat needs. Lincoln's like wet, wooded areas and thickets. The Savannah Sparrow is particularly fond of large, open, grassy fields. It can often be seen perched on a post or grass stalk. Song Sparrows can be found in marshes and fields, but the favorite habitat of this species is dense, bushy streamside areas.

Expert birders agree that sparrows never get to be truly easy to identify. But trying to ID them is great fun, and if you study the species and races that appear in your area, you'll surprise yourself with how quickly you can start to learn about these entertaining birds.

About the author: Jenny Brumfield lives in Canton, Ohio. She is a former Assistant Editor of A Bird's-Eye View.