I used to think that all sparrows looked alike and would dismiss them all as nondescript little brown birds. Over time I have started to be able the differences among several sparrow species.
When I spotted this sparrow on Thursday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I could tell it was not one of the ones that I am used to seeing. Its rounded head, pinkish bill, and white eye ring gave it an unusual look that I had never seen before. As is usually the case, I did not think a lot about identifying this little bird while I was out in the field.
Upon returning home, however, I went through my bird identification book and decided that it looked like it might be a Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla). I posted the image in a birding forum on Facebook and several experts there confirmed my initial identification.
Most of the sparrows that I saw that day were White-throated Sparrows and Song Sparrows. I was intrigued to read on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website that Field Sparrows are be found in mixed flocks with these other sparrow species during the winter—it pays dividends to look carefully at all individuals when you see a group of birds as there may be some surprises, as was the case for this Field Sparrow, which was a new bird for me.
“In winter, Field Sparrows may form mixed feeding flocks with other species, including White-throated and Song Sparrows. Smaller and less aggressive than other sparrows, Field Sparrows are usually at the bottom of the dominance hierarchy in these mixed flocks. Their subordinate role means that they may have to take extra risks to gain access to food, such as returning to a feeding site first after a predator has flushed the flock.”
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Perfect nice this tells everything in details my friend
Wonderful composition and great sighting, Mike!
Thanks, Ellen.
I sure like this photo, Mike!
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Thanks, Mitzy. There is a real gentleness to to this bird that I find quite attractive.
Congratulations on a new bird! And most birders (including yours truly) would be thrilled to see a Field Sparrow.
I really like your composition.
Thanks, Wally. As you know, I am more of a photographer than a birder (shockingly I do not keep a life list), but I like trying to identify those birds that I do manage to photograph. I just try to stay alert and somehow manage to find new things, even when visiting the same old places.
What a charming little bird. This is a beautiful photo with a strong composition and a lovely, harmonious atmosphere.
First… great shot,nice detail. Second, we use an app named Merlin on a phone for hard ID’s. We place the image on a Pc screen, photo with phone, send to Merlin. Immediate feed back from the Cornell database. Great app.
Oh, BTW, we means Ellen
I have heard that Merlin works pretty well, but prefer to get a response from a human when I can. Sometimes they can point out things in my photo that I didn’t notice that aid in making an identification. I am always intrigued to understand the mental process (the why?) when someone provides me with an opinion. 🙂
What a sweet bird… wonderful capture, Mike!
Thanks, Eliza.
Lovely. Sparrows are so difficult to identify, and then try to remember the next time you see a bunch of them!
Sometimes I remember, but fortunately there are lots of resources to help me if I am able to get a photo. I can’t really rely on my memory alone to recall all of the details of a subject that I see in the in the wild.
Nice Mike! I always have a hard time ID’ing Sparrows!
I commented on yesterday’s post that it would be saved for Benjamin, that now also includes today’s! You proved that a favorite quote of mine is quite true : “You are never to old to learn something new, or too young to learn too much.” Suzy Kassem. I too learned something new…that I must pay closer attention to the sparrows visiting my backyard. Thank-you, Mr. Mike!
Thanks, Ellen. That quote is so true and so accurate for me. I am constantly humbled by what I don’t know, I recognize that I have learned a lot about nature over the past decade, but there are so many mysteries waiting to be discovered.
Hi Mike, I love the composition of your sparrow photo. Would you allow me to sketch your photo and post my drawing in my blog with attribution and link to this post? Thanks for considering.
You are more than welcome to sketch the sparrow and I would appreciate both the attribution and the link. I occasionally try to sketch and do a little watercolor from time time time, but quite frankly I am pretty bad when it comes to art. 🙂
THANK YOU! Of course, you already did the hard work for me. It is a lovely photo. 🙂
Sweet! I think I saw a White-Throated Sparrow from my window a couple of days ago. I would never have ID’ed it without your recent post.
Thanks, Nina. During the winter, White-throated Sparrows are probably the most common sparrows that I see. They seem to hang out in pretty good sized groups as they forage in the underbrush.
I think what we see mostly are just House Sparrows, or English Sparrows (Passer domesticus). But then again I could be totally wrong! But that’s why ths Song Sparrow stood out as different. I wish I could send you a picture, but I’ve about given up on my Alcatel phone camera for something like that!
Sparrow move about so quickly that it is often hard to get a good look at them. There is a little suburban pond that I visit sometimes that has lots of House Sparrows, but I don’t think that I have ever seen them at my favorite wildlife refuge.