Tuesday 23 March 2021

Re: [cobirds] Sparrow Song Mystery - Arapahoe

Over the past two weeks, I've heard but not seen this sparrow. It sings without warning (of course, why would it let me know it's about to sign). Once, I was in a series of Zoom meetings when I heard the bird through my closed window. Another time, I stepped out my front door to hear it singing from a neighbors' yard. Just yesterday, I heard the bird while on a dog walk, now singing from a quarter to a third of a mile away from my home. 

I've settled on it as a White-throated Sparrow. His song of 2-4 notes very closely resembles the March recordings of the species that are available on eBird. Funny, though, to not see the bird across 4-5 encounters with him, several of which are within earshot of my yard. Funny, too, that he's seemed to studiously avoid the bit of chokecherry / viburnum thicket where I put down millet and where nearly every sparrow I've seen in my yard spends some time.

- Jared Del Rosso
Centennial, CO

On Monday, March 8, 2021 at 3:27:02 PM UTC-7 Doug Ward wrote:

Jared,

 

Glad you made this post as it is a sure sign Spring is around the corner with all the birds firing up their singing voices.  We've had an immature Harris's at our place in southwest Denver (Athmar Park Neighborhood, Denver Co.) all winter and he (?) is really starting to stretch his pipes lately.  He would occasionally throw out a typically grabbled "Zonotrichian" song on nice days the past few months (here since November), but lately is starting to find his inner Harris's with the plaintive monotone notes of the full song beginning to take shape.  It's been fun hearing him learn and will definitely miss him when he finally gets good enough to head home to impress the girls (again, assuming it is a dude).

 

Thanks again for your post, very interesting.

 

Good Birding Listening,

Doug

Denver

 

From: cob...@googlegroups.com <cob...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Nathan Pieplow
Sent: Monday, March 8, 2021 1:55 PM
To: Jared Del Rosso <jared.d...@gmail.com>
Cc: Colorado Birds <cob...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [cobirds] Sparrow Song Mystery - Arapahoe

 

Hi Jared,

 

Yes, Harris's Sparrows can sing quite a bit this time of year. Like the other Zonotrichias they build up to it gradually over the course of the winter. I might not rule out a White-throated Sparrow, but Harris's is a distinct possibility especially if all the whistles were on the same pitch.

 

Nathan Pieplow

Boulder

 

On Mon, Mar 8, 2021 at 1:50 PM Jared Del Rosso <jared.d...@gmail.com> wrote:

Yesterday, while wandering around my Centennial yard in the morning, I heard a sparrow sing a 3 or 4 note song of clear whistles. The bird stayed out of view the entire time and got ever farther away. It reminded me of the clear, strong notes opening a White-throated Sparrow's song. But it sounded most like the Harris's Sparrow's song. 


Has anyone encountered a Harris's Sparrow clearly singing its song this time of year, rather than giving the jumbled mess that I've heard a younger bird give a few springs ago? Or are White-throated Sparrow giving partial songs? (But it didn't seem right for that, as it didn't seem like much of a melody. Just a few repetitive notes). Or might be a different bird yet?

There are juncos and towhees around, making all kinds of weird noises and partial songs. This was distinct, cleaner, and sweeter in sound.

 

- Jared Del Rosso

Centennial, CO

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