starting to try to learn more of the birds around us, but not beyond the stage of "sparrow" ---- looking in the guides, saw Savannah and Lincoln, and maybe even song (though these wings look differently marked than the pictures of the Song) can you tell me what some of the main clues to determine which is which are?
picture taken at Oka ponds near San Jose in California in January
Well, this is a Song Sparrow. Sparrows are tough and Song's are variable! This bird has the gray eyebrow, dark, thick malar stripe and streaking on sides. Savannah would have yellow or white eyebrow, thinner malar stripe and finer streaking on sides, and pinkish legs. Lincoln's is a small sparrow with the gray eyebrow area but the streaking and malar stripe are very fine and the back ground colors on the breast and sides are buffy, not white. All that being said, sparrows are tough and require much field experience to get confident with ID's.
thank you Dan!!! I had pretty much convinced myself of a Savannah. you are right - this is going to take a lot of trying. Thank you very much for the details to try to check in this case.
help with sparrow id please?
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