Neighborhood Sparrows

My bike commute is getting slightly more routine now.  I typically ride 7 miles to work and 13 home.  The last stretch after Woodland is a walking path bordering a nice field rich with sparrows, which leads to the big pond.   As I rode along this path I heard a chip, which could almost be mistaken for the squeak of a Round-tailed Ground Squirrel, who have just begun exiting their burrows.   But I suspected otherwise.   The call could also be the precurser to the song of the Rufous-winged Sparrow, which carries the rhythm of a ping pong ball bouncing on the table.   Another 2 calls confirmed my suspicions, then I saw him drop below a desert broom plant to feed.   These birds, considered a species of special concern, can usually be found in a days walk around the neighborhood, but have been strangely absent as of late, so I was elated to hear its friendly call again today. 


Rufous-winged Sparrow

The Backyard bird Count starts tomorrow and I am anxious even knowing I may not have much time in the field.  I feel this could be one of my last opportunities this year to discover a new sparrow species in the neighborhood and am feeling a touch anxious.   I don't know why but I have an attachment to this species, sometimes referred to as "little brown jobs,," or "LBJ's", due to the similarities between the various species.  But this challenge makes them all the more interesting, and finding the hidden clues which cinch the identification is part of the fun.  My sparrow wish list for the neighborhood include Golden-crowned Sparrow, Harris' Sparrow, Fox Sparrow (any race), any longspur species, and Clay-colored Sparrow. The Clay-colored Sparrow has been seen in our neighborhood by other observers far more talented than myself (Chris Benesh, Jake Mohlmann).  I have not confirmed one for sure as of yet.   Of course there are also the extreme long shots such as Baird's Sparrow, Botteri's Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Leconte's Sparrow, Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, and Snow Bunting.


Although the wish list may seem long I am very happy with the sparrow discoveries in our neighborhood these past 12 or so years, knowing many more difficult, sparrows have already been found already.   In fact, if more birders covered this area, I am confident the first three wish species would already have been seen by someone.   Some of the more difficult discoveries included Rufous-crowned Sparrow and Black-chinned Sparrow, very seldom visitors to the lowlands.   A Yellow-eyed Junco was a very rare find in the lowlands, with only a few records over the past thirty years.  I have also heard the distinctive summer song of Cassin's Sparrow's three times here, yet hear of no other reports around Tucson.  The Swamp Sparrow was a nice find at our cattail pond, and I was grateful for the company and expertise of Roger Tess at the time of sighting.  The best find so far has to be the Sage Sparrow, which could possibly be the only record inside the Tucson City limits. 

Below is my neighborhood sparrow list (family Emberizidae) in order as listed in the book, "Sparrows of the United States and Canada," by David Beadle and James Rising.  Hope you get out during Cornell Laboratories Backyard Bird Count!  

1. Green-tailed Towhee
2. Spotted Towhee
3. Canyon Towhee
4. Abert's Towhee
5. Rufous-winged Sparrow
6. Cassin's Sparrow
7. Rufous-crowned Sparrow
8. Chipping Sparrow
9. Clay-colored Sparrow (Chris Benesh and Jake Mohlmann)
10. Brewer's Sparrow
11. Black-chinned Sparrow
12. Vesper Sparrow
13. Lark Sparrow
14. Black-throated Sparrow
15. Sage Sparrow
16. Lark Bunting
17. Savannah Sparrow
18. Grasshopper Sparrow
19. Song Sparrow
20. Lincoln's Sparrow
21. Swamp Sparrow
22. White-throated Sparrow
23. White-crowned Sparrow
24. Dark-eyed Junco (at least 3 races)
25. Yellow-eyed Junco