This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. For example, American Tree Sparrows show a spot, Chipping Sparrows don’t. If so, it might look darker for a little while as it dries. Yes, I’ve noticed these “feather dimples” before; they are most evident on plain-breasted birds, of cours. David — The dark central breast spot is due to more than simply shadow; most birds have dark down that can show through with the breast feathers held in a certain manner. Not all streaky brown birds are impossible to identify: Take a closer look at this one and you’ll see an understated but distinctive sparrow with a short tail, small head, and telltale yellow spot before the eye. The dark breast spot of American Tree Sparrow is created by pigmented feathers (not shadow) so it will look a little different. Savannah Sparrows are one of the most numerous songbirds in North America, and while sometimes overlooked, are likely visitors across the continent. The feathers that we call the breast (which really grow from the front of the neck) form a solid “shield” on the front of the body. This forms a “seam” where feathers meet along the midline, and at any time of year it’s possible to see a slight crease along the center of the belly of any songbird. The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America: Second Edition, The Sibley Guide to Birds - Second Edition, The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America: Second Edition, On identifying Chipping and Clay-colored Sparrows, Sibley Guide in action – Redpoll Identification, New Product – A ten pack of greeting cards with art and text from my newest book, Scarlet Tanagers are bright red – but this one is yellow, A Cerulean-like song variant of Black-throated Blue Warbler, Exhibit of original art from "What it's like to be a bird" - Canton, MA, uniform gray-white underparts on Chipping (vs. rusty smudge at shoulder and orange-brown flanks on Tree), blackish line through eye (vs rusty-brown on Tree), all black bill in summer, pinkish with dark culmen and tip in winter (vs. always bicolored black above and yellow below), eyebrow whitish, paler than cheeks (vs. eyebrow gray, about the same color as cheeks), smaller size with more delicate head and bill. A dark smudge in the center of the unstreaked … Can you identify the sparrow shown in this photo? Thanks for explaining so clearly how the arrangement of feathers creates the little dimple. Here is a sparrow with an obvious dark central spot on the breast, so it must be a Tree Sparrow, right? Required fields are marked *. Thanks for indepth explanation!! Thanks to Jerry Tang for the photo and for bringing it to my attention. For example, American Tree Sparrows show a spot, Chipping Sparrows don’t. The dark central breast spot shown by some species of sparrows is a simple and reliable, maybe even foolproof, field mark. You can see it clearly in the two European Tree Sparrows below. The dark central breast spot shown by some species of sparrows is a simple and reliable, maybe even foolproof, field mark. What’s going on?! Learn how your comment data is processed. The explanation is simple, and is a basic fact of the feather arrangements of all songbirds. If you are able to watch the bird in question move, the “dimple” will change as the bird’s feathers move, and as the light changes. I have shown a few birders this fact with birds in the hand; they’re always surprised. Here is a sparrow with an obvious dark central spot on the breast, so it must be a Tree Sparrow, right? In a case such as the Chipping Sparrow photo above, the bird is so obviously a Chipping Sparrow that, seeing the “spot,” one would have to ask, “It’s probably not a spot. Your email address will not be published. You can see more of his photos at http://tangsphoto.photoshelter.com. Your email address will not be published. Fascinating. A rusty cap and rusty (not black) eyeline on a gray head, a streaked brown back, and a smooth gray to buff breast in both male and female American Tree Sparrows give an overall impression of reddish-brown and gray. Read on for the discussion and answer below. But you may notice some red flags: the black bill, thin blackish eyeline, pinkish legs, pale gray-white flanks, etc all look more like a Chipping Sparrow.

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