FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] KOS photo quiz

[Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

The KOS website quiz photo (link below) is of a non-breeding (basic)
plumaged Chipping Sparrow, recently taken by Leisa Royse at her suburban
Lexington yard.

http://www.biology.eku.edu/KOS/whatisit.html

Size is difficult to judge, and in the absence of other, identifiable, birds
next to it, one must use structural cues and plumage for the ID.  The photos
compare well to the figures shown in Sibley (p. 485) with pinkish bill
(birds in breeding plumage have an almost blackish bill), non-streaked,
grayish breast, tan supercilium, lightish throat; weak malar line, brown-and
blackish streaked back, two narrow white-wing bars, and streaked
rufous-and-blackish crown.  The white eye crescents show up remarkably in
the photo.  

The bird is distinguished from a Clay-colored Sparrow by several plumage
characters including the rich, rufous tone of the browns of the upperparts,
grayness of the underparts, overall weakness of the face pattern, and dark
loreal area (between bill and eye -- see Sibley for more detail).  The rump
is not visible in any photos, but would be unstreaked grayish in Chipping
vs. streaked and tan or light brown in Clay-colored.

Anyone with further observations on the ID is welcome to contribute their
thoughts. Someone else may wish to speculate on the age of the bird, but I
suspected it was an adult due to the whiteness of the throat and overall
brightness of the tones and patterns. Thanks to all for submissions; another
mystery sparrow will appear at the same link soon . . . . 

bpb, Louisville
brainard.palmer-ball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBERS==============

The BIRDKY Mailing List requires you to sign 
your messages with first & last name, city, & 
state abbreviation.
--------------------------------------------------
To post to this mailing list, send e-mail to:
birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
-------------------------------------------------- 
To unsubscribe, send e-mail to:
birdky-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject line.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
Visit the Kentucky Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.biology.eku.edu/kos.htm
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
BIRDKY List Manager: Gary Ritchison, Richmond, KY
E-mail: gary.ritchison@xxxxxxx