Hi all —
OK, I’ve been sitting on this one for a while and it’s past time to deal with
it. Below are photos in 3 checklists of a Fox Sparrow at Mount Tabor in
Portland that is thought to be perhaps a “Slate-colored” (schistacea) or
perhaps “altivagans” (which I think w/b within eBird’s “schistacea group”).
* Here’s the initial checklist by finder Ross Barnes-Rickett:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S79291975 ;<https://ebird.org/checklist/S79291975>
* Here are photos by Tom McNamara: https://ebird.org/checklist/S79619591 ;
<https://ebird.org/checklist/S79619591>
* Chris Hinkle has seen the bird 3 times and lists it as Slate-colored:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S80666664 ;<https://ebird.org/checklist/S80666664>
The crown color appears possibly a bit different to me in Ross’s vs. Tom’s
photos, but everyone seems to feel this is the same bird.
eBird has 4 options for Fox Sparrows (which may not be enough to encompass the
actual variation, of course, esp. re: whatever “altivagans” is). The 4 options
are:
* Sooty (unalaschcensis group)
* Thick-billed (megarhyncha group)
* Slate-colored (schistacea group)
* Red (iliaca/zaboria)
I’m thinking the Portland bird should probably be confirmed as Slate-colored
(schistacea group), but what would you all do with this bird?
Thank you!
Jay
