Saltmarsh or Nelson's Sparrow? ID help please.

[Julie Brown]

Image shot on 7-19-11 on the Eastern Trail, Scarborough Marsh, Maine.

[Dan Brown]

Hi Julie. My guess is Saltmarsh, based on the extensive gray on the nape and the lack of buff color on the back. Tough call for me though!

[John Chardine]

Hi Julie- After studying the image I agree with Dan. This is based on the glimpse we have of the streaking on the sides, which looks well-defined rather than "blurry" as Sibley puts it. Do you have an image of the bird front-on?

[Julie Brown]

Hi Dan. Hi John.
The bird kept its back to me the whole time I was looking at it. Here is another shot with its head turned more, showing a bit of white throat and a little more of its belly.

[Paul Guris]

I have to get to my resources, but I'm not convinced yet that this is Saltmarsh. I am convinced that it's not a nominate nelsoni Nelson's, but the alterus and subvirgatus subspecies can be a bear. The dull looking back and flat colored flight feathers are what concern me for Saltmarsh, though in July it would be in heavily worn plumage (which you can see in the photos). The flank streaking is very fine, so I don't think that knocks either of those subspecies of Nelson's out. The bill does not look particularly long, and that's a feature I tend to attribute to Saltmarsh.

If I get a chance, I'll look at my books to see if I can get a bit more insight in ID from this angle. If you feel like driving yourself nuts, Tom Johnson has a set of museum and field photographs up that highlights just how difficult ID can be.

http://picasaweb.google.com/11680761...1a2tF5rs--0GHw

[Dan Brown]

Hi Dan. Hi John.
The bird kept its back to me the whole time I was looking at it. Here is another shot with its head turned more, showing a bit of white throat and a little more of its belly.

I can't offer any more, Julie. Maybe they will lump them back and put us out of our ID misery

[Paul Guris]

Maybe they will lump them back and put us out of our ID misery

Oh, you coward! Jump into the depths of the species / subspecies pit and suffer with the rest of us.

[Dan Brown]

Oh, you coward! Jump into the depths of the species / subspecies pit and suffer with the rest of us.

[Julie Brown]

Hey guys, thanks for your input! I have another sparrow from the same marsh for you to look at. I will try to post it later today.
Dan, I know it can be frustrating, but it is a lot of fun, don't you think?
Thanks for the link, Paul. I gave it a quick look, but will go back and study it when I have more time.

[Dan Brown]

Dan, I know it can be frustrating, but it is a lot of fun, don't you think?

Always a learning experience, Julie!

[Rick Poulin]

A new pictorial based essay on identification of Saltmarsh and Nelsons Sparrows can be found here.

http://blog.aba.org/2011/10/north-am...-birds-65.html

[Julie Brown]

Hi Rick. Thank you for providing the link to the photo essay. There is a huge amount of information there, and I will definitely spend some more time studying it.