IBRC#15-B-12

Idaho Bird Records Committee
Rarities Report Form

Species: Swamp Sparrow

Reporter: Heidi Ware

2120 Mortimer Drive, Boise ID, 83712. heidithebirdnerd@yahoo.com

Other Observers: No one

Date Report Prepared: 1/2/12

Date Sighting Occurred: 1/2/12

Locality of Observation: C.J. Strike Reservoir: Jack’s Creek west near Headquarters building

Habitat: Dense understory shrubs on the edge of a Russian Olive patch adjacent to weedy/grassy fields.

Conditions: cloudy, cold with some breeze. I used my Vortex Viper 10x42 binos.

Did you take notes? No, but discussed field marks with group a few minutes after

Did you consult a field guide or other reference work? Before and after the observation

What guide(s) or reference(s) did you consult?

Sibley

Description: A small sparrow. In flight gave the impression of being very dark colored with a long-ish tail (definitely not short-tailed). When I saw its face, it reminded me of a Lincoln’s Sparrow’s expression (very “sweet”), with a smaller bill that was not angled down like a Song Sparrow. I noted its very red/rufous wings and shoulder, and clean gray neck. I also noticed the chin markings seemed “different” to me than a Song Sparrow, but didn’t note anything specifically. I don’t remember a specific color (the guide says yellow), but remember that the bill was significantly lighter underneath. It seemed like forever since the bird took a long time to come into the open, but I probably only saw the bird in binoculars for about 15 seconds.

Behavior: I was walking through a mixed field of shin-high corn stalks and seed-covered weeds when I saw a bird fly up from some short weeds nearby. I watched it naked eye fly to some dense bushes. I walked closer and pished a few times, and could see it hopping around but it wouldn’t come out. I pulled out my phone and played some call-notes of Swamp Sparrow. It immediately popped out in the open and flipped its wings, hopped, etc. I stopped the caller, and it went back into the bushes. It never vocalized. I turned to call to Rob Miller who was nearby (it would have been a life bird for him) and when I turned back it was gone! We searched nearby, but couldn’t re-find it; it seemed like birds were settling down for the night, and had more area to cover of our CBC territory before it got dark so we left.

How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what clinched the identification for you? I first saw it in flight and noted it seemed small (but wondered about Marsh Wren since I’d just heard one nearby, and had been fooled earlier in the day by one). Then I saw it hopping around and could tell that it was a small sparrow. When it finally came out, it did not strike me at all as a Song Sparrow, and was definitely not a Lincoln’s by markings. Its body shape and size reminded me most of a Lincoln’s. I looked at its clear gray neck, and red wings, and also the “facial expression”. Once the bird was gone I was pretty sure of the ID, but when I met back up with the group and couldn’t re-find the bird I had to talk myself through what I saw just to make sure (and get advice from Jay and Jessica who have more experience with Swamp Sparrows). I was finally confident in what I saw after talking through it because of the clean gray nape and the overall impression of the bird as small with a small bill. (I talked about how I had been seeing Song Sparrows all day, hoping for a Swamp, and wondering if each Song was really a Song Sparrow; whereas with this bird I was sure as soon as I looked at it that it didn’t look like a Song Sparrow)

How did you eliminate similar species, and what were they?

A Song Sparrow would be very different structurally, with a thicker more downturned bill. While some subspecies of Songs can be pretty red, the combination of red focused on the wing/shoulder and the un-streaked gray neck eliminate Song Sparrow.

This bird was structurally very similar to a Lincoln’s sparrow, but Lincoln’s have a uniquely streaked breast with an orange-buffy color, plus streaks on the nape.

Both these species also have more defined streaks on the chest than a Swamp Sparrow.

Also, anecdotally, I had just been playing Swamp Sparrow calls off and on for the past 30 minutes in a different area, and immediately got responses from Song and White-crowned Sparrows: the Song Sparrows immediately called back from cover, and only sometimes popped up. This bird didn’t call at all, but seemed very agitated by the playback.

Experience with this species (and similar species): I have seen Swamp Sparrows at least 3-4 times, including twice at CJ Strike. Each time I actually see one I realize that it’s pretty obvious. I have seen MANY Song Sparrows including just before this sighting, and have seen probably more than 30 Lincoln’s Sparrows, including 2 excellent views this same day.

General birding experience: I have been seriously birding since 2008, and besides Idaho have birded in Guatemala, Belize, and Kenya. I am very familiar with the expected species in Idaho, and feel confident with ID’ing many other species (life list of 900+).

Were photo(s), video, and/or audio obtained by you? (If yes, please include or attach) no