AMERICAN TREE SPARROW FORAGING IN SNOW, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

   We can ID this sparrow as a American Tree Sparrow as follows:

• Plump with long notched tail.
• Rufous crown and rufous back.
• Bicolored bill.
• Dark spot in center of chest.
• Has two bright white wingbars, but in the poses in these photos you can only see the longer wingbar, not the smaller one nearer the neck.  This is consistent with a number of photos on the internet.

   The American Tree Sparrow is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 281.

MALE DOWNY WOODPECKER, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

DARK-EYED JUNCO, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

    We can ID this Emberizine Sparrow or New World Sparrow as a male Dark-eyed Junco.  There are five subspecies of Dark- eyed Juncos in North America; this junco is the slate-colored subspecies.  This subspecies is the only one found in most of eastern North America, including Ontario.  The bird can be identified as a male Dark-eyed Junco of the slate-colored subspecies as follows:

• Gray overall with little or no contrast between head, back, flanks and chest.
• White belly.
• Short, stout pale pink bill.
• White outer tail feathers.  You can see this white on the tail in the first photo.

   The Dark-eyed Junco is a new species to our Life List, which now stands at 280.

MALE NORTHERN CARDINAL, LYNDE SHORES CONSERVATION AREA, WHITBY, ON

ALL WHITE DOMESTIC MALLARD, LAKE WILCOX PARK, RICHMOND HILL, ON

HOUSE SPARROWS, PARKING LOT, TORONTO, ON

   The House Sparrow in the first photo is in nonbreeding plumage.  It has a black throat, but the black doesn't extend down to the chest.  The House Sparrow in the second photo has the black on the throat and it extends down to the chest.  This sparrow is in breeding plumage.  This is the time of year when House Sparrows molt from nonbreeding to breeding plumage.

SONG SPARROW, LAKE WILCOX FISH & WILDLIFE REFUGE, RICHMOND HILL, ON

   We can ID this sparrow as a Song Sparrow as follows:

• Stocky and relatively long-tailed.
• Dark, bold streaks above and below.
• Brown and gray stripes on crown.
• Rufous wings and tail.