61-B-2017 Savannah Sparrow
STATUS
Accepted
DATE VOTING COMPLETED
1ST ROUND
7-0
HOW MANY OBSERVED?
1
DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED
DATE REPORT PREPARED
REPORTER
Carl Lundblad
LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION
Mann Lake, southeast of Lewiston (Nez Perce County)
HABITAT WHERE THE BIRD WAS OBSERVED
Weedy fenceline between road circling lake and a weedy/grassy fallow ag. field. I also saw it in a row of shrubby willows near the lake shore.
SIGHTING DURATION, CONDITIONS, and EQUIPMENT USED
2-3 minutes, overcast but dry and calm, kind seen in good light, looking north, and then it flew south and perched on the fence where backlit.
DID YOU TAKE NOTES?
No, not at all
DID YOU CONSULT A FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCE WORK?
No, not at all
DESCRIPTION OF THE BIRD(s)
Please refer to photos
BEHAVIOR OF THE BIRD(s)
Associating with a flock of juncos, first looking a bit out of place perched in the dense willows, and then flew over and landed on the fence for a minute or two.
HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU?
Darkly-streaked breast, bold facial pattern, yellow supraloral were all instantly recognizable.
HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES? WHAT WERE THEY?
Yellow supraloral, brown outer tail feathers (seen well when it flew past me from willows to fence), lack of chestnut shoulder patch, weaker eyering eliminate Vesper. Different overall coloration, different face pattern eliminate Song Sparrow or other Melospiza. Please refer to photos.
WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS (AND SIMILAR) SPECIES?
Extensive
DESCRIBE YOUR GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE
~17 years of frequent birding
EBIRD CHECKLIST(s)
WERE PHOTO(S), VIDEO, AND/OR AUDIO OBTAINED FROM THIS SIGHTING?
Photo
SUPPORTING IMAGES
FIRST ROUND VOTING:
Shirley Sturts
Accept
good description and other sparrows were eliminated
Dave Trochlell
Accept
I agree that this was a Savannah Sparrow.
Jon Isacoff
Accept
The photos clearly and definitively indicated a Palm Warbler.
Jay Carlisle
Accept
photos show a short-tailed, streaky-chested sparrow that fits Savannah
Darren Clark
Accept
Photographs are good.
Doug Ward
Accept
Light to non-existent description, particularly in eliminating the superficially similar, and much more expected Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) leaves open doubt about this record. However, observer experience, and photos indicating a positive identification allow for “acceptance” in this round.
Photos are of Savannah Sparrow