[obol] Sage(brush) & Bell's Sparrows
- From: Joel Geier <joel.geier@xxxxxxxx>
- To: Oregon Birders OnLine <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 08:22:50 -0700
Hi all,
Regarding the question of separating juvenile Bell's from Sage(brush)
Sparrows, James D. Rising's book /A Guide to the Identification and
Natural History of The Sparrows of the United States and Canada/ (with
illustrations by David D. Beadle, Academic Press, 1996), states simply
that juvenile Bell's Sparrows (Apr-July) "are similar to Sage Sparrows,
but darker."
Rising gives the same comment for first-fall and winter Bell's Sparrow:
"similar to Sage Sparrow, but darker."
The illustrations show adult Bell's Sparrow as well as adults of what
Rising considered to be the two subspecies of Sage Sparrow (A.n.
nevadensis and A.n. canescens). Note that Rising considered Bell's
Sparrow to be a separate species (Amphispiza belli) from Sage Sparrow
(Amphispiza nevadensis), so I'm using his nomenclature here.
The only depiction of a juvenile given in this book is for A.n.
nevadensis.
The book includes a table of measurements comparing Bell's Sparrow
(belli) vs. the two subspecies that he regarded as Sage Sparrows,
nevadensis and canescens. Bell's Sparrow is significantly smaller than
either of those subspecies, especially nevadensis which is the larger of
the two.
Just to add one more wrinkle, Rising describes three subspecies of
Bell's Sparrow (besides the nominate A.b. belli which occurs in coastal
California, one subspecies is restricted to San Clemente Island and the
other occurs in Mexico from 26 to 29 degrees latitude).
Personally, I'd be very happy to see a Bell's Sparrow in its home range.
Somehow I've missed this handsome sparrow despite spending a fair amount
of time in the California chaparral. It has long been on my list of
birds that I'd most like to see. Nice to hear that the AOU has decided
to bestow full-species recognition upon it.
Good birding,
Joel
--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis
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